Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute

What Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute does

The Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute (FCCI), which rebranded to the Institute for Cacao and Chocolate Research (ICCR) in May 2025, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2019 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts (EIN 47-4926106). The organization is dedicated to advancing research and education in the fine cacao and chocolate sector, operating across more than 25 countries. It is led by Executive Director Carla D. Martin, PhD, and operates with a small team of 1–10 employees. Its stated mission centers on supporting the craft chocolate industry through evidence-based research, professional training, and convening of stakeholders across the cacao value chain, from origin producers in cacao-growing regions to finished-product chocolate makers and consumers.

The organization's product portfolio spans educational programming, the LACE/ACE fellowship program, paid research advising services for industry and government clients, the Chocolate Conservatory podcast, an "Origin Series" content platform, a blog, and a publicly accessible Chocolate Industry Map. Educational content is delivered through classes and structured programming, while the LACE/ACE fellowship provides professional development for cacao-producing region leaders (e.g., a 2021–2022 fellow based in Colombia). The Chocolate Industry Map serves as a directory/reference resource for the industry.

Its revenue model is multi-stream and characteristic of a small research-focused nonprofit: (1) individual donations at tiered levels ($10–$500), (2) paid research advising contracts with government and industry partners, (3) fee-based fellowships and educational classes, and (4) collaborative programming with institutional partners. Named institutional partners include USDA, USAID, IESC, TechnoServe, SICACAO, FCIA, Gaia Cacao, and Uncommon Cacao. A notable collaborative output is the Transparency Report produced with Uncommon Cacao, indicating that research deliverables are part of the organization's monetizable intellectual property alongside its education and convening functions.

Name

Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute

Legal name

Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute

Website

https://chocolateinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute (rebranded as ICCR in 2025) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that conducts research and delivers education, fellowships, and industry advising for the craft cacao and chocolate value chain across 25+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Research and Education

akta.pro primary industry

Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Chocolate & Chocolate Confectionery (CRADABAA)

Keywords

• Cacao research education
• Chocolate industry research
• Specialty cacao fellowship
• Cacao value chain
• Nonprofit food research

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN number 47-4926106), the Institute relies on tax-deductible donations from supporters at various levels: Resource User ($10), Learning and Culture Steward ($50), Mission Champion ($100), and Institution Endowment ($500).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute (FCCI / ICCR) is a nonprofit research and education organization that develops and disseminates evidence-based programming on cacao and chocolate origin, markets, production, quality, and ethics. It delivers this through educational classes and courses, the LACE/ACE Fellowship, direct research advising for government and nonprofit partners (USDA, IESC, USAID, etc.), the Chocolate Conservatory podcast, the Origin Series, a research blog, and an interactive Chocolate Industry Map.

Product overview

The Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute (also known as FCCI or ICCR - Institute for Cacao and Chocolate Research) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on research and education to reduce information asymmetry, promote ethics, and end inequality in the cacao and chocolate value chain. The organization operates a portfolio of educational and research products including: Educational Programming for scholars, producers, and professionals; the LACE/ACE Fellowship Program for cultural exchange research; FCCI Research Advising services; the Chocolate Conservatory Podcast; the FCCI Origin Series featuring Zoom discussions with industry experts; an FCCI Blog with research articles and conversation series; and a Chocolate Industry Map database. These offerings work together to advance understanding of fine cacao and chocolate through transdisciplinary, evidence-based research and analysis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Educational Programming Educational programming covering cacao and chocolate topics, designed for scholars, cacao producers, chocolate and food service professionals, and consumers.
• LACE/ACE Fellowship Program A 12-18 month fellowship program for emerging researchers from cacao-producing regions (Latin America, Africa, and Asia) that develops original research and public scholarship on cacao-chocolate traditions.
• FCCI Research Advising Direct research advising services for partner organizations including USDA, IESC, SICACAO, FCIA, TechnoServe, and USAID, delivering comprehensive market studies, supply chain case studies, stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and producer surveys.
• Chocolate Conservatory Podcast An ICCR - HCP podcast featuring discussions on cacao and chocolate topics, distributed via YouTube, SoundCloud, and other podcast channels.
• FCCI Origin Series In-depth guided Zoom discussions featuring a team of presenters including cocoa producers, chocolate makers, Harvard Lecturers, and Culinary Institute of America Pastry Instructors, with a fundraising mission to support cocoa-producing communities.
• Chocolate Industry Map Interactive map of chocolate producers, chocolatiers, retailers, research institutions, cacao producers, and botanical gardens worldwide, presented in a searchable and sortable spreadsheet format.
• Specialty Cacao and Chocolate Research Research publications and analysis including craft chocolate market sizing, the cacao-chocolate supply chain, and industry statistics with comprehensive studies on the specialty cacao market.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research and education initiatives contributing to reducing information asymmetry in the cacao-chocolate value chain

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2021USDA funded Global Cocoa Market Study and Dominican Republic Cocoa Supply Case Study in December 2021, conducted by Gaia Cacao and coordinated by IESC with advice from ICCR. These comprehensive reports compile analysis of 400 publications, interviews with over 100 industry stakeholders, and data from focus groups and producer surveys.
• International Executive Service Corps (IESC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2021IESC coordinated the 2021 Global Cocoa Market Study project funded by USDA, with ICCR providing research advice. IESC coordinates international development projects in agriculture and market access.
• Uncommon CacaominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCR research team has been working formally with Uncommon Cacao to collect, analyze, and verify data, then co-author and publish their annual Transparency Report, the only publication from an international cacao trader that reveals what cacao producers are actually paid.
• USAIDmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for research projects. ICCR research advising includes work funded or supported by USAID.
• TechnoServeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCR regularly advises on research for TechnoServe, a nonprofit that supports business solutions to poverty.
• SICACAOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCR regularly advises on research for SICACAO, a cacao industry organization.
• FCIA (Fine Chocolate Industry Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCR regularly advises on research for FCIA, the Fine Chocolate Industry Association.
• Gaia CacaomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted the USDA-funded Global Cocoa Market Study and Dominican Republic Cocoa Supply Case Study in 2021, with ICCR providing research advice.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Fairtrade International: Global fair-trade certifier and advocate producing research on producer payments and supply-chain ethics in cocoa. Shares ICCR's focus on ethical supply chains and transparency but operates a certification-led model at far greater scale.
• International Cocoa Organization (ICCO): Intergovernmental body producing global cocoa statistics, market analysis, and sustainability standards. Overlaps with ICCR's research-and-data mission on a global scale but with a much broader commodity-cocoa (rather than specialty/fine) focus.
• Rainforest Alliance: Major certification and sustainability organization with deep cocoa-sector work, including research and farmer-training programs. Overlaps with ICCR on ethical sourcing and supply-chain transparency but at far greater scale across multiple commodities.
• World Cocoa Foundation: Large industry foundation convening cocoa companies, NGOs, and governments on sustainability. Comparable to ICCR in mission (sustainability, transparency, farmer livelihoods) but materially larger in budget and scope, operating as a broad incumbent in the same space.
• Barry Callebaut / Cocoa Horizons: Sustainability program of the world's largest chocolate manufacturer. Comparable to ICCR in addressing farmer livelihoods and supply-chain ethics in cocoa, but operating at industrial scale with corporate funding rather than donations.

Direct peers

• Uncommon Cacao: Specialty cacao trader with whom ICCR co-authors the annual Transparency Report. Direct collaborator and adjacent player in fine-cacao supply-chain transparency and producer relationships — sharing ICCR's audience of producers and craft makers.
• Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA): Trade association serving the specialty/fine chocolate industry — a direct peer to ICCR in audience (chocolate makers, professionals, enthusiasts) and mission (advancing fine chocolate). ICCR lists FCIA as an active research-advising client, making them collaborators rather than pure competitors.
• Cocoa Research Centre (University of the West Indies): Academic research center dedicated to cocoa germplasm, quality, and producer economics. Highly comparable to ICCR's research mandate on cacao quality and origin, though embedded in a university rather than an independent nonprofit.
• Cacao of Excellence: International program (hosted by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT) recognizing quality cacao and producing benchmark data on origins — directly comparable to ICCR's research-and-education focus on fine cacao quality and origin.

Emerging players

• Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund: Niche nonprofit focused on identifying and preserving fine-flavor cacao genetic varieties. Comparable to ICCR's fine-cacao and origin-quality research, though narrower in scope (genetics and flavor) and smaller in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmvOTZLbYPwdsERFGyliO-w
• Facebookfacebook.com/chocoinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fine-cacao-and-chocolate-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/chocoinstitute
• Xx.com/chocoinstitute

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute