Journey to Grenada – building relationships, ensuring quality, shaping the future

Why we travelled to Grenada

Strong partnerships are built on genuine exchange. For us at Felchlin, this means regularly visiting suppliers in person – regardless of their size or production volume. During our time there, we focused on three major topics:

Strengthening relationships
We visited our suppliers and their processing centres, got to know the new employees, built trust, and deepened existing partnerships.

Checking quality & optimising together
Supplier audits in the form of random checks enabled us to directly assess the quality of the cacaoand the processing steps. At the same time, we used the exchange to discuss further quality improvements.

Understanding local needs
Only those who know the reality of the producers can provide meaningful support. We wanted to find out what challenges our partners are currently facing – and how we can support and strengthen them in the long term.

Grenada – an origin with special conditions
Grenada is different from many mainland origins – and that is precisely what makes the island so unique and, at the same time, so challenging.

• Island challenges
  Even basic tools and materials have to be imported to the island. This makes agricultural work more demanding and requires a great deal of flexibility.
• Vulnerable nature
  Hurricanes – most recently in 2024 – can damage trees, flowers, and even entire plantations. Reconstruction requires patience, resources, and joint commitment.
• The spice island – synergies with potential
  It is not without reason that Grenada is known as the ‘spice island’. Nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and many other spices characterise the country – and also subtly influence the aroma of the cacao grown here. It is particularly noteworthy that spice and cacao farmers face very similar challenges. This is precisely where further synergies could arise in the future.

What we take away from Grenada
The trip confirmed to us how important direct exchange is – especially in origins that are smaller in terms of volume but are of central importance to our range and our values.

Our conclusion:

• We remain present even with small suppliers – because appreciation is not measured in tonnes.
• We provide support where it really makes a difference – whether in quality optimisation, access to resources or knowledge transfer.
• We are working even more closely together – to find ways to ensure a sustainable future for Grenada's cacao.
• We believe in the local people – and want to encourage them to see agriculture as a promising prospect.