The taste of Belcolade

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1 Vietnam 73

2 The taste of Belcolade At the heart of Belcolade chocolate is its unrivalled taste. This is Belcolade s priority because today s consumers are paying increasing attention to the quality of their food and the ultimate perception of quality is taste. The uniqueness of Belcolade Origins The exclusive Belcolade Origins range offers a variety of origin chocolates with a delicious taste. Each Belcolade Origins chocolate is made with carefully selected cocoa beans that are different from each other and reflect the differences of the regions where they are grown. Belcolade Origins is the result of extensive exploration through Central and South America, Central Africa and parts of the Pacific. The collection offers origin chocolates excelling in taste: Uganda 80, Ecuador 71, Grenada 67, Peru 64, Costa Rica 64, Vanuatu 44, Venezuela 43, Costa Rica 38 and Dominican Republic 31. Belcolade Origins inspires food professionals around the world to adapt the flavours in traditional recipes and to discover new applications in pastry and chocolate by combining Belcolade Origins with different, often surprising, flavours. Excelling in taste, each of the Belcolade Origins chocolates has a unique and specific bouquet of aromas.

3 Costa Rica Dominican Republic Grenada Venezuela Vietnam Ecuador Uganda Peru Vanuatu

4 Vietnam, the most exciting new cocoa-producing country Mekong Delta Ben Tre Vietnam is a young cocoa-producing country with great potential. In 2012, Puratos partnered with the chocolate company Grand-Place and started an ambitious vertical integration project in the country. Cocoa was introduced into Vietnam in the 19th century by French colonists, although production never really took off. However, as Vietnam has good climate conditions and fertile soils, in 2000 the Ministry of Agriculture and Development implemented a long-term programme to develop cocoa production in the country. It has been highly successful. In 2013, 30,000 farmers planted 20,000 hectares and produced 5,000 tons of cocoa beans. The goal is to reach 50,000 hectares of planted area by The Mekong delta region, also known as Little Venice, is the major cocoa-producing area. Here, the Trinitario cocoa variety is cultivated. It s grown in small family farms, in between coconut, banana, longan, durian and fruit trees, which offer sufficient shade to ensure the development of the cocoa pods. The small rivers feeding into the Mekong enable good irrigation of the soils. Quality by vertical integration On top of sourcing and selecting the best raw materials, we are working towards achieving full vertical integration from cocoa beans to chocolate. The first step was to decide to invest in a Cocoa Collection and Fermentation Plant. Ben Tre is our local platform, close to the farmers. They can bring their cocoa pods here and our local team will select the best fruits and pay them. The beans are then put to ferment and dry, following a unique protocol which enhances the natural flavours present in beans. By handling the post-harvest process ourselves, we gain full control over the quality of the cocoa and can influence the flavour profile of our products and ensure consistency of the taste. This has already paid off. In October 2013 Puratos Grand-Place Vietnam received an International Cocoa Award at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris, for the best cocoa in the Asia-Pacific region. It was a clear recognition of our efforts to develop top quality cocoa beans.

5 In November 2013 Puratos Grand-Place Vietnam opened a Cocoa Collection and Fermentation Plant and a Cocoa Demonstration Centre in Ben Tre province, 80 km south of Saigon. Both initiatives confirm the commitment and investment of Puratos to accelerate the development of the sustainable cocoa industry in Vietnam.

6 Safeguarding the future of cocoa with Cacao-Trace Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Brundtland Report Challenges in cocoa Farming cocoa is not an easy task. Farmers need to spend time on their farms, invest in good equipment and have the money to do it. But the price of cocoa quoted on the stock exchange is very volatile. Farmers do not always manage to sell their product at a good price. Access to information can also be a hurdle: partners that can provide training are greatly needed to ensure good production and protection of the environment. Sustainability at Puratos Sustainable development means getting the right balance between social, environmental and economic requirements. It s also known as People, Planet and Profit. At Puratos, we believe sustainability is a win-win relationship. It brings added-value for every actor in the cocoa supply chain, from farmers to consumers. We are committed to act as responsible entrepreneur and are dedicated to help our customers be more successful in their business. We believe everyone can make a difference and support cocoa farming communities. That is why we developed Cacao-Trace. Cacao-Trace Cacao-Trace is our unique sustainable programme dedicated to partnering directly with farmers and working closely with them. The goal of Cacao- Trace is to secure long-term cocoa production and sustainable development in the whole supply chain, ensuring that chocolate can be enjoyed for many years to come. It not only covers the three pillars of sustainable development social, environmental and economic but also quality and tracebility requirements. We believe keeping track of our progress is the best way to have an impact on farmers communities and really make a difference. That is why the programme is audited every year by an independent auditing company.

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8 Better return to farmers We reward farmers for their efforts with a fair price, and offer them a premium as incentive to provide us only the best quality cocoa pods. When they deliver their fruits to Puratos they are paid directly and we make sure they really get the added-value price by keeping track of the payments. This better return to farmers empowers them to improve their income and livelihoods. 100% traceable Improved productivity and quality We believe that giving farmers training on agronomic skills and environmental protection will help them develop their entrepreneurial mind-set and attract younger generations. One of the ways to sustain cocoa production is to help farmers increase their productivity. In Ben Tre, a Cocoa Demonstration Centre has been established in collaboration with the Mars Group. Here, our expert agronomists provide training, demonstrate best practices and conduct applied research. During on-farm trainings, farmers learn how to take care of their trees and protect the environment. By exchanging information with us, farmers can manage their farms better and produce higher quality cocoa the start for the tasty chocolate that we will manufacture. Beyond quality there is much more. The essential components of Cacao-Trace are transparency and traceability. Working alongside farmers enables us to share authentic stories about daily life in their farming communities. Our internal control system enables us to monitor full traceability from the pods to the chocolate. Every lot is tagged with a number and we can track every lot back to the specific farmer. Virtuous circle This higher quality and better return to farmers, combined with the trainings on productivity, make sure the virtuous circle of sustainability is in place. Farmers enjoy greater volumes, a higher income and an improved standard of living in local communities. They become more involved and are proud to be cocoa farmers.

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10 VIETNAM 73 Belcolade Origins Vietnam 73 is a dark chocolate with a 73% cocoa content. It is produced from Trinitario cocoa beans grown in the Mekong delta of Vietnam the Little Venice of Asia. This chocolate has an unexpected taste: a pronounced acid cocoa taste enriched with citrus, wood and tobacco notes. In Vietnam we work closely with farmers thanks to our platform in Ben Tre. Farmers are trained by our agronomists in methods to improve productivity and quality, which results in a higher return. The pods are handled in our post-harvest centre where we have full control over both quality and traceability. This origin chocolate is the first result of our Cacao-Trace programme.

11 People of passion... explore the hidden recesses of the world... unravel the mysteries of flavour sensations through sensory analysis... dive into the alchemy of roasting and conching... discover new and unique flavours in the world of cocoa... express creativity through exquisite and exceptionally tasting applications in patisserie and chocolate.

12 Belcolade, The Real Belgian Chocolate of Puratos Puratos Belcolade - Industrielaan 16, Industriezone Zuid III - B-9320 Erembodegem, Belgium T +32 (0) F +32 (0) E info@belcolade.com - Puratos NV/SA - Industrialaan 25, Zone Maalbeek - B-1702 Groot-Bijgaarden, Belgium T F E info@puratos.com -