Turucucho raised the name of Ecuador for its milk, chocolate and tea

The small and bright community of Turucucho, located at the foot of the snow-capped Cayambe volcano, is already known worldwide for the three different and complementary production processes that currently coexist in this Andean area. This visibility was possible after the entry of three B companies (B Corp), which changed the production reality of the area. They are the dairy company El Ordeño, the chocolate company República del Cacao and the tea company with local products, Tippytea.

Community dynamics now revolve around milk collection, which is based on formal contracts that guarantee the purchase of the product at a fair price and on a permanent basis, allowing them to have longer-term projects. However, the interest of the community members is also captured by the planting of medicinal plants and flowers such as marigold, sunday, tall lavender, type, wallwort, mint, peppermint, among others. Most of the women in that area hand-pick the flowers, which will then go through a natural process of drying in the sun, which achieves a unique taste.

This is how the Turucucho mixture (a special infusion of different herbs) is exported from this green valley, and the first white chocolate of Ecuadorian origin also became famous throughout the world, with the excellent Turucucho milk. Thus, Turucucho elevates the name of Ecuador in chocolate, milk and tea.

María Cutucuago is part of the community and feels happy. He always loved the countryside and its greenery. He says that they did not know before whether they would have customers for their milk or at what price it would be bought from them. But now, since El Ordeño arrived, they are sure that the product will be bought from them, and besides, they live in a constant process of training.

Carmela Guerrero also shows this happiness from her farm where she has several planted plants. He assures that he loves the village and that they lack nothing in his country, they live in community, help on the land, share products and help each other.

The manager of El Ordeña, Juan Pablo Grijalva, says that when this company arrived in the area in 2006, there was strong mediation, but they decided to enter with their collection centers and establish a business, associative and inclusive model. With the formal purchase of milk and without intermediaries, “trust and stability were created”. Even when there was a pandemic, they didn’t stop shopping. This would mean a short-term problem for the company, but a better relationship with the community in the long-term. This collection center can receive 2,000 liters of milk per day, of which 80% are women, and several of them are run by women. A similar model has been extended to 100 collection centers where 5.5 million liters can be collected, says Grijalva.

How does República del Cacao get to Turucuch? Philippe Bongrain says that a group of international chefs did a milk tasting and came to the conclusion that Turuchucho milk is special. So is República del Cacao, also company B which, according to its own description, “goes beyond buying at fair prices, and extends to technical support and the application of responsible agricultural practices, promoting the protection of indigenous varieties of fine cocoa. “, he began. create their products with this input. White chocolate from República del Cacao is now the first “product of origin” of its kind, since both cocoa, milk and sugar come from Ecuador, and it has become the first product to be sold.

Meanwhile, Guillermo Jarrín, of Tippyte, says his project as Company B was to give a different meaning to this small and old tea industry. They wanted to provide added value by focusing on taste and aroma. “We believe in what is happening in Turucuch.” This follows a model different from monoculture and is more environmentally friendly.

The role of B companies was discussed precisely in the community of Turucucho, in a dialogue in which several representatives of some of the B companies in Ecuador participated.

At the meeting was Juan Ignacio Morejón, co-founder and executive director of Sistema b Ecuador. He says that there are 26 certified B companies and 1,600 BIC (Benefit and Collective Interest) companies in the country. All of them strive to maximize positive effects, both economically and in the community and environment. The principles of these B companies have to do with building a better country, with a new business logic as a force for the benefit of multiple actors. Therefore, B companies create value and well-distributed wealth. In this way, you start to dream of another country where you understand that the well-being of the community is the key to development, says Morejón.

When María was asked about her wishes, she replied that now her dream is to be able to build an expanded tourist center, where visitors can have a unique experience along the trails, with gastronomy and closeness to the country.