Guayas Hacienda Wins Ecuador’s Pepa de Oro Cacao Award

Hacienda La Paz, a family agricultural business established in Guayas in 1969, won the national Pepa de Oro competition at the ninth World Cacao Summit 2026.

The award evaluates the quality and sensory excellence of Ecuadorian cacao. It focuses on production, harvest, and post-harvest processes across the national cacao chain, making the result relevant beyond one farm: cacao remains one of Ecuador’s most visible agricultural and export industries.

A family business with a long operating history

Hacienda La Paz was founded by Estuardo Quirola Lojas in Guayas. The business began with agricultural operations before adding cacao cultivation and now focuses on agricultural production and distribution in national and international markets.

The company’s representative, Fabricio Landucci, said the recognition reflected years of work, confidence in Ecuadorian cacao, and a team focused on improving production quality. The statement is promotional in tone, but it also identifies the operating theme behind the award: the competition evaluates the chain from production through post-harvest handling, not only the final appearance of the bean.

The award is a useful reminder that Ecuador’s agricultural economy contains both large strategic commodities and specialized quality segments. Buyers and businesses evaluating the country’s food and export sectors need to distinguish between production volume, post-harvest quality, market access, and brand recognition. The Pepa de Oro result speaks most directly to the quality and sensory side of that equation.

The 2026 podium

Hacienda La Paz took first place. Hacienda Balao Chico placed second, and Hacienda Bola de Oro placed third.

The competition was presented during a three-day World Cacao Summit that brought together producers, exporters, researchers, and academics from the national and international industry. That mix matters because the event is not only a ceremony. It is also a meeting point for the people who influence production methods, export relationships, research, and the commercial positioning of Ecuadorian cacao.

For Guayas, the recognition gives a long-established local agricultural business a new point of visibility. For foreign residents and investors, it is a small but concrete signal of how Ecuador’s rural businesses can build value through origin, quality, and post-harvest work rather than competing only on raw volume.

What This Means for Expats

Expats who buy Ecuadorian chocolate or cacao products can look for more than a country-of-origin label. The relevant questions include where the cacao was produced, how it was processed after harvest, and whether the company participates in export markets. People exploring food, agriculture, hospitality, or specialty retail should watch the businesses and producer networks emerging around quality recognition.

The Pepa de Oro award does not establish Hacienda La Paz’s production volume, revenue, or future investment. It does establish a national first-place result in the 2026 competition and places the Guayas company at the center of a three-day industry event.

Source: El Universo