About us · CECAQ-11

CECAQ-11 members and leaders at the cooperative

Our founding

From collective work, a cooperative was born.

CECAQ-11 was born when smallholder cocoa farmers and traders from the former Água Izé plantation in São Tomé and Príncipe joined forces. United by the goal of transforming the lives of cocoa growers, they created a cooperative built on collective work, product quality and fair trade.

We started with 241 farmers in 11 communities — hence the name CECAQ-11. Our first exports were just 8.1 tonnes, around 0.5% of the country's cocoa production. Today we are more than 1,100 farmers and account for about a fifth of the nation's cocoa.

“United to transform the lives of cocoa farmers.”

We are in São Tomé's first historic cocoa-growing region, in the east and south-east of the island: an area of small plots and difficult access, where cocoa is grown and processed using traditional methods that ensure an excellent bean.

The founders

Alberto do Sacramento Bidé
Deolinda de Mascarenhas Correia
Clementino Marques
Arlindo Nazaré dos Ramos da Cruz
Carlos da Vera Cruz Vaz Pereira
Dionísio Amado Cândido Rodrigues
João Tavares
Moisés Loureiro
Adalberto Luís
Helder Pinto
Viriato

Growth

More than 15 years of growth.

2009
Founded
241 farmers from 11 communities form a cooperative.
2010
Fair Trade
Fairtrade certification and the start of our partnership with GEPA in Germany.
2013
Organic
The cooperative's cocoa is certified organic.
2020
500 tonnes
1,126 farmers, 2,000 ha and 20% of national production.
Today
21 communities
More than 900 families benefit from our initiatives.

The process

From pod to bean.

Six steps, done by hand in our communities. Move through each one to discover it.

01 / 06

Growing

Small family plots, farmed organically. Of the cooperative's 2,000 hectares, 55% have already been rehabilitated with new plants from our nurseries.

Organic
Family plots
Nurseries

02 / 06

Harvest

Pods are harvested ripe, one by one, and opened by hand to remove the fresh beans wrapped in white pulp.

Hand harvesting
Ripe pods

03 / 06

Fermentation

The beans ferment using the cooperative's traditional methods — an essential step that develops the precursors of chocolate's aroma and flavour.

Traditional method
Aroma and flavour

04 / 06

Drying

The beans dry slowly in solar dryers and are turned by hand with wooden rakes for even drying.

Solar dryers
Turned by hand

05 / 06

Sorting

Hand-sorting, bean by bean, to remove defects and ensure uniform lots under strict quality control.

Hand-sorting
Quality control

06 / 06

Export

Cocoa is gathered and stored at our headquarters in Mestre António before shipping to our customers in Europe.

Warehouse at HQ
Checks before shipping

Map of São Tomé island showing Cantagalo district

Mestre AntónioCECAQ-11 headquarters

Origin

In São Tomé's first cocoa region.

Our headquarters is in Mestre António, a community in the east of the island. This is where cocoa from all our associations is gathered, checked and stored before it leaves.

20 kmfrom the capital, São Tomé
19farmers' associations
2,000 haof cocoa plantations
55%of the area rehabilitated

Communities and impact

Every bean changes lives.

We invest in social projects and in the development of the 21 communities where we work — nurseries, plantation rehabilitation, training and better living conditions for our members.

Cocoa seedling nursery — Nurseries and rehabilitation

900+families directly benefiting

Farmers' assembly in a community — Community assemblies

Community in action

Study visit from Santana School

We welcomed students from Santana Secondary School to see cocoa work up close — from sorting the beans to the warehouse.

Mato Cana kindergarten teachers with the supplies donated by the cooperative

Feb 2026Social

Supplies for Mato Cana kindergarten

Painting, kitchen, teaching and hygiene supplies donated to the Mato Cana kindergarten.

Mar 2025Community

A road reopened by hand

Apolónia's farmers reopened, by hand alone, a road cut off by erosion for more than six months.

Mar 2025Associations

General Assembly in Apolónia

Each association decides together: another ordinary General Assembly with its farmers.

Jun 2024Education

Sponsors of Mestre António School

We are proud to sponsor Mestre António School and to support the children of our community.

Dec 2024Education

Little visitors at the cooperative

Kindergartens from Santana and Ubua Budo Praia visited our facilities.

Mission

Connecting land and market

Strengthening the bond between our members and the market, at home and abroad, and building ties with like-minded organisations — always to improve community life.

Vision

Sustainable quality

To be a pillar of quality and sustainability, reflecting the cultural heritage of São Tomé and Príncipe in every cocoa bean we produce.

Values

Together, fairly

Collective work, product quality and fair trade — the principles the cooperative was founded on.

Certifications and partners

Verified commitments.

Since 2010

Fair Trade · FLO

A fair price and a premium that returns to communities through social and productive projects.

Since 2013

Organic · EOS

Cocoa certified as organically grown, respecting the soil and the environment.