We have been working very closely with our cacao producers since the beginning. Being in direct contact with them is very important to us, as the quality of our chocolate depends to a large extent on them. Last year, our intern, Sofia Gordillo Grau, spoke with the people on site. You can find the backgrounds to our five different Origins here.
What does cacao mean to you?
“For me, cacao means respect. Respect for the families and farmworkers. Cacao is more than just a product to us. After all, its history often accompanies the family for generations. Very often, people simply see the price of cacao, since it is traded primarily as a raw material on the stock exchange. But here in Ecuador at the Hacienda Limon, cacao is much more than that. We are extremely happy that through laflor and other small buyers, we have found customers who value our product and our work, and accept that our beans are more expensive because we put more time and effort into growing cacao than usual.”
— Silvia, Hacienda Limon, Ecuador
“The farmers here at Rio Sinu were able to build a new life for themselves because of cacao. We used to get our hands stained by the green coca leaves, today, our hands get muddy from the brown cacao. The cultivation of cacao instead of coca brought peace and tranquility to our region, shifting away from illegality to an activity that brings joy, prosperity and above all education.
Cacao cultivation has given us a new motivation to live a good life. Today we are satisfied and proud of what we do and, above all, that our work is recognized across our country. It allowed us to develop a social and community infrastructure, which was not possible before due to the violence in the area. Thanks to the cacao, we benefit from a good family and social cohesion”.
– Divier, Rio Sinu in Colombia.
“Cacao is not just a business, and Hacienda San Cayetano is not just a region of cacao cultivation. Thanks to cacao, tourism has become the second most important source of income for our region. It is important to me that we can pass on the know-how of cacao and its demanding cultivation to the next generations, that they too will respect nature and see a future in cacao. For me personally, cacao is THE future for Venezuela”.
— Rodrigo, Hacienda San Cayetano in Venezuela.
What does laflor mean to you?
“The people of laflor have become friends, they support our community’s development, and we hope that together with laflor we can promote our cacao internationally.”
— Javier, Tesoro Escondido in Ecuador.
“laflor represents transparency. Laura and her team like to always know what’s going on and be up to date. I think laflor is a company that helps bring a lot of awareness to the outside world and to its customers, and educates them about the hard work that goes into making a good product. I am also convinced that together with us, laflor can show that there is a region in Colombia that is committed to a legal and environmentally friendly process in cacao production.”
– Divier, Rio Sinu in Colombia.
“laflor is a great opportunity for me, and I hope the laflor team can once again put Swiss quality chocolate in the right light. Many of the very large chocolate producers are located in Switzerland, and most of the major trade in the raw material also involves Switzerland. That’s why I wish for laflor to spread awareness among customers and teach people how good cacao and quality chocolate is really supposed to taste.”
– Manlio, Disidente/Rio Sinu in Colombia.
