As we know, chocolate does not grow on trees. Cacao – the stuff that does grow on trees – is cultivated, nurtured, harvested, fermented and dried on our partner farms in South America. It is more than natural for us at laflor that the cacao farmers are paid a fair wage. The foundation of a high quality product is the complex process, which requires not only a lot of work but also infrastructure and land.
To give you a rough idea of what this means; laflor pays about CHF 4.50 per kilogram of cacao, and this is paid directly to the farmers. To put this into perspective, the Fairtrade minimum price/kilogram set by Max Havelaar was increased from CHF 2.00 to CHF 2.40 at the end of 2018.
How do we know how much our partners earn? Because we know the farmers, have been on site with them in South America and purchase the cacao directly from them. This is called “Direct Trade”. The advantage for the farmers is not only the higher price per kilo, but also the long-term cooperation, which enables them to manage their farms sustainably. Sustainability is something we expect from our cacao farmers. To learn more about why we think our partners in South America live up to this expectation, read our stories about our partners’ plantations. In addition, of course, the cacao quality is crucial. We have very high aspirations in this regard as well. Additionally, the farmers are proud of the fact that their cacao is appreciated and processed into a single farm chocolate instead of a mass-produced chocolate.
By no means do we want to compare “Direct Trade” with “Fairtrade”. Fairtrade organizations try to make the world market fairer, making sure that there is a minimum standard at the beginning of the supply chain, even for mass-produced goods. This commitment is vital. Yet we at laflor have consciously opted for direct sourcing and transparent trade – not only because of fairness or charity, but also for quality reasons. In addition, we are interested in cacao, and it is nice when we as a team can visit our partners in South America and realize: “This is where our cacao comes from, and these people are the ones who make it special”. The transparency that we strive for at laflor is also part of the “Direct Trade” concept – not only in terms of the supply chain, but also in terms of production. We know exactly what happens on the farm, and the cacao farmers also know where and how their cacao is processed.
That is why you will not find a certification on our bars, but we do hope that you will give us your personal seal of approval.
