Cacao Butter

Our Cacao Products

Having an on the ground team in Peru means that we can conduct extensive quality control on all our cacao crops and also oversee the third party production of other crops. We are firm believers that when it comes to cacao, the highest value crops are those grown using agro-forestry methods. Agro-forestry implies growing cacao under the forest canopy alongside other endemic species, pest incidence is minimized and the quality in terms of flavor profile is also improved. The agro-forestry method is far more ecologically friendly than the more common mono-culture methods as it respects native forests and their importance to the health of the crop.

We ensure full traceability, quality and price advantages through the following methodology:

• We source all of the organic cacao beans used for our liquor, paste, nibs and powder from agro-forested farms only and not from farms, that practice mono-cropping. Mono-culture (single crop farming) has a higher incidence of pesticide use even when organically certified.
• Each cooperative we partner with has been fully mapped. We do pesticide testing at source and take many other factors into account when assessing the quality of produce from each individual farm within a cacao growing cooperative.
• When purchasing beans, the overall lot/batch is split into sub-lots which relate to a particular farm or area within a cooperative. Should problems arise with a particular batch, it can be 100% traced back to the source of the problem sub-lot.
• Once the cacao has been processed into butter, liquor, nibs or powder, it is stored in Lima for a second round of randomized testing for heavy metals & pesticides. Only once these tests are passed does the product ship to final customers.