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All about the farmers & beans

Chocolate is only as good as the beans they come from and so we pay above fair trade prices for our beans to support our farmers so they can keep producing the highest quality beans. Learn more about the farms we are currently sourcing from below.  

Tanzania

Koko Kamili

“Kokoa Kamili works in Tanzania - famous for our national parks, big game, and of course Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania has a long history with cocoa since the crop was first introduced in the 1880s. 

At Kokoa Kamili, we work in the Kilombero Valley area of Morogoro Region. Approximately a ten hour drive from the country's main city of Dar es Salaam, our operations are based in the village of Mbingu (Kiswahili for Heaven) bordering the beautiful Udzungwa Mountain National Park. Mbingu is fairly rural with no access to electricity or tarred roads for about sixty kilometers. 

At Kokoa Kamili we work with about 2000 registered smallholder farmers. Most of our farmers own between 0.5 to two acres of land - focusing on food crops. For many of our farmers, cocoa is one of their major sources of income. 

We also work with the Mbingu Sisters, a convent in the village that operates a 30 acre cocoa farm. The income the Sisters earn from their farm goes to support much of the charitable work that they conduct - including operating a hospital, school, and orphanage in the area. “

WHAT WE PAY

$10,540

WORLD COMMODITY PRICE

$3,759

PER METRIC TON

Ecuador

Camino Verde

Camino Verde is a privately owned fermentary located in Duran, just minutes outside Guayaquil, Ecuador. Camino Verde and Meridian Cacao Company have developed a long-standing relationship built on a passion for impeccable quality and consistency in beans, as well as an understanding of the applied science in cocoa fermentation that pushes the boundaries for new-age methods of cocoa post-harvest processing. Camino Verde’s owner, Vicente Norero, has years of experience in microbiology, which brings a unique approach to fermentation. With Vicente’s deep understanding of fermentation methods he produces a variety of flavor profiles, using enzymes and inoculants to push specific flavor precursors forward in the beans.

WHAT WE PAY

$10,500

WORLD COMMODITY PRICE

$3,759

PER METRIC TON

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Ghana 

Three Mountains Cacao

Situated next to the three mountains that are part of UNESCO’s reforestation and conservation program for tropical rainforests, over 2,000 farmers from 8 communities grow the diverse cocoa beans for Three Mountains Cocoa.

Working to support the farmer communities directly, best management practices and environmentally responsible farm management are held to the highest standards. Three Mountains Cocoa also provides financial resources along with community and individualized support in the conversion to organic and Fairtrade certification.

WHAT WE PAY

$11,200

WORLD COMMODITY PRICE

$3,645

PER METRIC TON

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Peru

Chuncho Urushayua

Nestled in the Sacred Valley in Peru, this ancient cacao variety is supporting cacao diversity and local communities agricultural economy. Years ago, this rare genetic varietal was on the edge of extinction due to growing numbers of abandoned farms. Thanks to our interest and chocolate makers support, farmers saved these trees from being lost forever, and now over 90 families are actively growing this uniquely flavored bean.

By purchasing these beans, we are helping to give the community the resources necessary to reforest their cacao farms and improve the ecosystem, we can preserve this endangered cacao and promote cacao diversity in the long run.

WHAT WE PAY

$11,630

WORLD COMMODITY PRICE

$3,759

PER METRIC TON

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