Origins, Mission, & Vision

ChocoSol is a learning community social enterprise that focuses on making the ‘food of the gods’ – commonly known as cacao – into stone ground, artisanal dark chocolate. We were founded in 2004 in Oaxaca, Mexico but have been based in Toronto since 2006. Since our inception, we have remained true to the culinary traditions and inter-cultural relationships that has rooted us in here and in Mexico. Our learning community social enterprise model engages in the passionate work of re-making a more ecological, just, and meaningful civil society. It is about combining learning and earning through disciplined research and creativity.

The origin of the name ChocoSol has links to 3 languages. The ‘Sol’ in ChocoSol is from the Spanish word for ‘sun’ and refers to our first 1,000 kgs of cacao that were roasted with solar power in Oaxaca. In French, ‘sol’ means soil, acknowledging that you must have the soil of the gods in order to have the food of the gods. In English ‘sol’ sounds like ‘soul’ and reminds us of the importance of conducting our work with a good mind and spirit.

ChocoSol’s Mission Statement:

To craft revolutionary chocolate and maize foods that are good for mind, body, and soil.

ChocoSol’s Vision Statement: 

Create an ecologically and socially just food system through chocolate, coffee, maize, and conviviality.  

Our cacao, the main ingredient in all of our chocolates, is organically and shade-grown, sourced directly from Indigenous communities and forest gardens in the Lacondon Jungle of Chiapas, Mexico and the Oaxacan mountains of Southern Mexico. In recent years we have expanded our trade relationship with cacao growers in the Dominican Republic and Ecuador. Our horizontaltrade relationships with our farmers go beyond the mere exchange of commodities and extends to the exchange of reciprocity, best practices, social enterprise models, forest garden re-generation and friendship.

Cacao, and the chocolate we make from it, is the main vehicle by which we work towards our vision. We are dedicated to offering a socially-just, ecological, and dignified alternative to the conventional approach to trade, food production, and sharing. This means an ongoing, reflective practice of working in partnership, collaboration, and co-operation with growers and families both in the South and in our own community. 

We specialize in producing and distributing stone-ground, bean-to-bar eating and drinking chocolates, as well as coffee and other Mexican forest garden foods such as vanilla, achiote, allspice, chilies and cardamon. We create trans-local chocolate bars by using local ingredients from our own forest gardens in Southern Ontario such as maple sugar, chilies, mint, apple, and pumpkin seeds. Every ChocoSol product is wrapped in compostable and reusable packaging.

We are located at 1131 St. Clair Ave West in Toronto, Canada. Here we produce all of the chocolate from the cacao bean and all of the tortillas and tamales from the corn kernel. It is also the place where we host our workshops that are dedicated to the teachings of cacao and maize, and to lessons on what a more ethical and sustainable food system can look like. You can also visit our store front to purchase our freshest chocolates, to enjoy a hot chocolate and coffee, to learn more about ChocoSol products from our knowledgable staff or to take a peak into our production kitchen. Hope to see you here soon!