![Vinces cacao farmer Joaquin Leon Escobar with Jenny Samaniego](http://www.conexionchocolate.com/cdn/shop/articles/Vinces-Cacao-Farmer-Joaquin-Leon-Escobar-with-Jenny-Samaniego_1445x.jpg?v=1632640495)
Take a trip to the Ecuadoran province of Los Ríos and get a unique glimpse of the cacao farming and production process as seen through the eyes of those working in the APOVINCES Cacao Co-Op.
In this video you will follow our founder Jenny Samaniego as she introduces you to some of the farmers we work with at Conexión Chocolate. You will meet farmers like Joaquin León Escobar, the owner of “Batatilla” – a small farm outside the city of Vinces, known for its rich chocolate history. Escobar, who has been cultivating cacao for about 70 years, shares with you his passion for farming, his love of the land, and his concerns for the welfare and future of Ecuador’s farmers.
As Jenny connects with the farmers in the Co-Op, she emphasizes the importance of their work in the preservation of heirloom cacao as part of the national heritage of Ecuador. This video collaboration between Conexión Chocolate and the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund gives you – the chocolate lover – the chance to hear directly from the farmers what cacao means to them.