Check out the smiling faces of our founder Michael Sacco and one of our oldest partners in Mexico, Don Flor, gracing the pages of the National Post!
This article outlines the limitations and potential for certifications such as Fairtrade, and what direct-trade can mean for cacao producers and chocolate makers alike. At ChocoSol, we're proud to work directly with growers in Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Ecuador. It's great to see other chocolate makers like Taza Chocolate and LetterPress Chocolate engaging with direct-trade, and we hope more organisations can do the same!
What does direct-trade mean to us? In part, it means ChocoSol has both the honour and the responsibility to represent our growing partners through our space, community, delicious chocolate, coffee, and more. Spending time in the communities- and with the women, men, and children who make up the communities- is one way for our team to experience and gain a deeper understanding of the life, work, commitment, and respect embedded in growing and processing cacao. In sharing these experiences, we hope to constantly renew the ways in which we represent the stories of our evolving and dynamic partners in the South.
Another element of direct- and horizontal-trade is the capacity to walk and learn together across generations. Some of the youngest members of the grower communities, like Diana, have much to teach us about the plants, animals, and the future of communities like hers in Chiapas. In a time when many are leaving their communities for larger cities, our commitment is to listen to and work with younger generations to make cacao growing dignified, sustainable, and fulfilling work for those who wish to continue or return.
