This ancient strain criollo cacao is sourced from organic farmer's co-operatives in the Peruvian Andes. From "seed to ceremony" we only work with co-operatives and family-run businesses, supporting indigenous entrepreneurship with our exchanges.
The co-op we've worked with over the last decade was founded in 1998 with the intentions of working with small farmers to preserve traditional methods of cultivating, processing and harvesting cacao.
Their four founding principles are:
1) Prioritising quality over quantity
2) Supporting Andean mega-biodiversity, not homogenisation
3) Promoting organic methods of production
4) Fair income distribution amongst the people participating as suppliers, transformers and traders
5) Social responsibility, following the principles of Fair Trade
The co-op works alongside the small farmers, generating employment for the local community and offering training and financial support to encourage indigenous entrepreneurship, raising the living standards of small farmers and sustainably increasing crop yields.
CACAO LOVE"
