Our bean to bar chocolate features the Biodynamic Demeter Certified raw 'Aribba Nacional' Fino de Aroma cacao beans grown by small lot farmers and their communities in Archidona, near Quito in Ecuador. We partnered with PACARI who are invested in their commitment to regenerative practices and harvesting sustainably.
Ecuador became the first country in 2008 to reserve nature's legal rights, protecting Mother Earth within its constitution. Ecuador remains one of the few countries to adopt this view. Aotearoa New Zealand has given this designation to the Whanganui river which might be good start but really, at this stage, it is kinda all or nothing. PACARI prioritises respect for Ecuadorian heritage cocoa and strict criteria help protect its natural environment and its stewards.
Further information on Pacari’s sustainable cacao community can be found here.
Leading us towards authentic stories of provenance and the highest quality raw ingredients available, PACARI is recognised by the Small Producers’ Pride (SPP) as certified Beyond Fair Trade. Strict criteria are applied, where businesses are obliged to ‘operate on the basis of democracy, transparency and respect for the environment’. PACARI invests in great cacao beans from over 3,500 small-lot farmers, operating beyond industry standards to guarantee equitable farmer partnerships that truly sustains producers, local industry and economy.
You can view the SPP criteria here.
Building on our foundations of a bean-to-bar practice, thoughtful in their growing process—embodying biodynamic, organic agricultural principles PACARI is Demeter-Certified Biodynamic. Biodynamic agriculture is a holistic approach to farming that considers economic, social and environmental impacts and outcomes with the goal of creating an almost entirely closed system.
Great attention is paid to land management, efficient water use and rebuilding ecosystems through nourishing soil health—while still achieving high productivity. A holistic farming method, Biodynamic agriculture represents an opportunity to address food security issues and mitigate climate impacts and ecological loss. PACARI cacao is USDA Certified Organic and European Union Certified Organic.
Nature needs no improvement. Cacao is one of the most phytochemically diverse superfoods and a powerful source of life force nutrients. As is coconut sugar. And so our raw cacao beans are stone ground, preserving the flavanols and antioxidants, ultimately aiding in digestion and nutrient absorption. Less heat is produced in the grinding process than modern high speed methods which homogenise the chocolate. This destroys the subtle flavours and top aroma notes, and also makes the cacao particles sizes small enough to pass through the gut wall without being digested. Thats a no-no amigo. Stone grinding is vital in retaining the cacao butter's truly raw nature of the cacao butter in the beans and the development of intriguing aromas. Recognised internationally, PACARI is the recipient of over 207 awards.
Chocolate is the result of a human process inspired by an ancestral culture.It is the manifestation of the spirit that informs the practice .. chocolate for the transparent and real.