Grown in Los Ríos, at home in Höganäs

We tend to think that internationalising a product means moving it from one country to another. My visit to Höganäs Chocolate, in southern Sweden, reminded me that the harder journey is not the one the goods make, but the one understanding makes: grasping a culture, connecting with its consumers and giving something back to the community that welcomes you.

Ana María Contreras and Gustavo Marun, Ecuadorian entrepreneurs and co-founders of the company, have travelled that road with intelligence. The cacao comes from Hacienda San José, the family farm in Los Ríos; the chocolate is made in Höganäs. Their motto puts it plainly: “Grown in Ecuador, crafted in Sweden.” I do not see a renunciation of origin there, but a sum of strengths: generations of growing knowledge from the Ecuadorian countryside, and the closeness that comes from producing next to the people who enjoy it.

What struck me most was how design communicates belonging. Some of their products carry names such as Mölle, Kullaberg or Viken, places within the municipality itself. And the brand’s brown, according to the studio that developed its identity, evokes both chocolate and the traditional ceramics of Höganäs. It is a subtle gesture: the product tells its neighbours that it is theirs too. The visual identity, inspired by the world of mail and travel, tells the other half of the story: cacao that crosses the Atlantic like a postcard.

In this case, that appreciation of the local struck me not as a marketing device but as a way of putting down roots. And the roots go beyond the packaging: the company works with the local business community and opens up internship opportunities. It is no surprise that the municipality named Ana María and Gustavo Entrepreneurs of the Year 2025.

As ambassador, I find in this story a lesson for our economic diplomacy. Ecuador does not only export raw materials of excellence; it also exports talent, able to turn that origin into added value, jobs and trust in the destination country. Every bar made in Höganäs carries with it a farm in Los Ríos and the name of a Swedish place.

I am left with a simple idea: the best way to take Ecuador to the world is with respect for the place we arrive in. Ana María and Gustavo prove it.