︎ STORY
Growing Chocolate:
A Family Business
OUR STORY/
︎FAZENDA VARRE-VENTO
After 20 years worth of work, struggling to keep our farm after the Witches' Broom Disease had devastated the entire cacao production of the country, in 2017, we harvested our very first all organic batch.
Before that, in order to be able to keep our farm (and family traditions alive), a lot of our cacao production was sold to Nestlé, Barry Callebaut, Interagrícola and Cargill. Unfortunately, even when producing an above the average quality product, we have been struggling to sell it. Companies are not willing to pay a fair price, not even the price point for conventional cacao. In addition to that, most people are used to paying $1 for a chocolate bar; a price that undercuts the farmer, flavor, and the expertise that it takes to make good chocolate.
This is one of the many reasons why we decided to explore the possibility of selling our beans directly to American bean-to-bar chocolate makers. We realized that we have been invested in honing and caring for our product for so long, that we wish that the consumer (or our buyers), would share the same enthusiasm and appreciation for our work.
The American chocolate market has changed in such a way that it invites us to share our story.
We would like to work closely with bean-to-bar chocolate makers to understand the aromas and flavors that they seek; helping them to redefine the taste of chocolate by providing exciting and diverse beans from our chocolate rainforests. While researching the possibilities of reaching out to chocolate-makers to sell our cacao beans, we became fascinated by the idea of making our own chocolate.
We saw that chocolate consumers are as much interested in the distinct flavors as they are in making ethical decisions. People are actually taking stands to support environmental causes related to food. They research and want to know where their food comes from, who are the people involved and how it is made. They want to know the story.
We have been working on establishing ourselves as a cacao bean distributor, while becoming one of the first tree-to-bar chocolate makers in the United States.
We see this as an opportunity to show everyone how we plant, grow and harvest our beans, to the moment of wrapping our chocolate bars. We get to tell our story.
︎FAZENDA VARRE-VENTO
After 20 years worth of work, struggling to keep our farm after the Witches' Broom Disease had devastated the entire cacao production of the country, in 2017, we harvested our very first all organic batch.
Before that, in order to be able to keep our farm (and family traditions alive), a lot of our cacao production was sold to Nestlé, Barry Callebaut, Interagrícola and Cargill. Unfortunately, even when producing an above the average quality product, we have been struggling to sell it. Companies are not willing to pay a fair price, not even the price point for conventional cacao. In addition to that, most people are used to paying $1 for a chocolate bar; a price that undercuts the farmer, flavor, and the expertise that it takes to make good chocolate.
This is one of the many reasons why we decided to explore the possibility of selling our beans directly to American bean-to-bar chocolate makers. We realized that we have been invested in honing and caring for our product for so long, that we wish that the consumer (or our buyers), would share the same enthusiasm and appreciation for our work.
The American chocolate market has changed in such a way that it invites us to share our story.
We would like to work closely with bean-to-bar chocolate makers to understand the aromas and flavors that they seek; helping them to redefine the taste of chocolate by providing exciting and diverse beans from our chocolate rainforests. While researching the possibilities of reaching out to chocolate-makers to sell our cacao beans, we became fascinated by the idea of making our own chocolate.
We saw that chocolate consumers are as much interested in the distinct flavors as they are in making ethical decisions. People are actually taking stands to support environmental causes related to food. They research and want to know where their food comes from, who are the people involved and how it is made. They want to know the story.
We have been working on establishing ourselves as a cacao bean distributor, while becoming one of the first tree-to-bar chocolate makers in the United States.
We see this as an opportunity to show everyone how we plant, grow and harvest our beans, to the moment of wrapping our chocolate bars. We get to tell our story.
OUR PROCESS/
︎MISSION: Flavors of the Rainforest
We invite all of our customers to question the importance of preserving the rainforests when producing chocolate (and consequently, cacao beans).
︎TRANSPARENCY & TRACEABILITY
Traceability refers to the ability of tracking any food through all stages of production, processing, and distribution. We live in a time when consumers want to know the origins of their food; people increasingly want assurance that raw or organic materials are sources in an environmentally friendly, sustainable, and ethical way. Therefore, we have been researching new technological developments that could create new opportunities for the supply chain transparency and the cacao traceability.
︎PROXIMITY & COMMUNITY
We want to rebuild a connection to food and the process of making it. We want to rebuild a connection among people. We want to cultivate face-to-face relationships. By selling directly to our clients and end-consumers (eliminating the middle-men and choosing not to retail our products), we are creating a proximity within this short food supply chain. Our aim is to develop a community, one that shares the same love for cacao. We are open to working closely with chocolate-makers to understand their needs and to improve the quality of our cacao beans.
︎MISSION: Flavors of the Rainforest
We invite all of our customers to question the importance of preserving the rainforests when producing chocolate (and consequently, cacao beans).
︎TRANSPARENCY & TRACEABILITY
Traceability refers to the ability of tracking any food through all stages of production, processing, and distribution. We live in a time when consumers want to know the origins of their food; people increasingly want assurance that raw or organic materials are sources in an environmentally friendly, sustainable, and ethical way. Therefore, we have been researching new technological developments that could create new opportunities for the supply chain transparency and the cacao traceability.
︎PROXIMITY & COMMUNITY
We want to rebuild a connection to food and the process of making it. We want to rebuild a connection among people. We want to cultivate face-to-face relationships. By selling directly to our clients and end-consumers (eliminating the middle-men and choosing not to retail our products), we are creating a proximity within this short food supply chain. Our aim is to develop a community, one that shares the same love for cacao. We are open to working closely with chocolate-makers to understand their needs and to improve the quality of our cacao beans.