What is Direct Trade when it comes to chocolate?
Direct Trade is working directly with producers in the region where cacao is grown.
Cacao trees grow best in the geographic band that is 15-20 degrees north or south of the equator. In 2010, we started a quest to find the highest quality cacao in this part of the world, and a couple years later, we began directly working with those from the region who had only the highest standards.
It has been quite the adventure. On our travels, we spoke with many cacao growers to gain their perspective. Marcos, a cacao grower near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica started giving tours of his cacao plantation. When asked why he turned to tourism instead of selling the cacao, he responded, "it (cacao production) is so much work and you don't earn enough." Another farmer we spoke with in northern Peru felt that too much money was going to the "middleman."
We learned that cacao is one of the world's most labor-intensive crops, where much of the work is still done by hand. To us, this makes cacao so very special.
Here at MarcieSweets, we wish to support the cacao farmer and believe Direct Trade is part of the answer.
Thank you for joining us on this journey!
