#MesDeEmpresasB: Sustainability at República del Cacao
At República del Cacao, we understand sustainability as a daily practice that connects people, territory, and purpose. Our impact is built through four strategic sustainability pillars that turn commitment into results: Responsible Sourcing, Conscious Gastronomy, Purposeful Community, and Environmental Commitment.
Responsible Sourcing
We respect the origin of each ingredient, cultivating strong relationships to offer traceable and sustainable chocolate.
In República del Cacao, the work begins on the farms, where we promote training processes for producers through field schools and workshops on good agricultural practices, safety, traceability, associativity, financial administration, and cacao fermentation and drying techniques. During 2025, over 80 farmers participated in these learning spaces, strengthening their production techniques and expanding their comprehensive knowledge of cacao and its environment. Additionally, this support is complemented by strengthening our relationship with suppliers of other strategic raw materials such as milk and panela.
At the end of the year, we pay tribute to our cacao farming allies at the 2025 Chocolatada, our annual celebration where we reflect on the year's work, share our vision for the years to come, and strengthen our joint relationship to continue growing together.
Conscious Gastronomy
We foster a conscious connection between the knowledge and art of chocolate making to generate a sustainable impact on the culinary community.
For República del Cacao, the art of chocolate making is also a platform for transformation. Within this context, in 2025, we are launching the Fundamentals of Chocolate, a gastronomic research project led by our Corporate Chef. This project translates technical knowledge into base recipes for professionals, utilizing all our product lines, ranging from mousses to sorbets, including creams, ganaches, and ice creams.
This vision is also projected through strategic alliances. Together with the United Nations World Food Programme, we are developing an initiative that will be launched in the first half of 2026 and aims for social transformation through gastronomy. This project integrates sustainability, food security, and awareness of fair and responsible eating in Ecuador within daily gastronomic practice. We will share more details soon!
As part of this ongoing knowledge exchange, our Cacao Talks took center stage. In 2025, we discussed “Culinary Identity: How to Build and Maintain It” with renowned Ecuadorian chefs, enriching the knowledge exchange among our community members.
Community with purpose:
We build alliances for the development and creation of value among our stakeholders, creating a positive impact on society.
Sustainability is strengthened when built within a community. In 2025, we are organizing two editions of Comida Buena, our initiative that supports gastronomic social enterprises through workshops with renowned chefs from our community. This initiative was made possible by our ongoing partnership with the Ecuadorian NGO FUDELA, which allows us to multiply our positive impact and benefit migrant women and men with gastronomic businesses.
Under this same commitment, we participate in spaces for dialogue on inclusion and female leadership alongside universities, NGOs, and the private sector. One of these meetings brought together 180 women cocoa farmers from across the country, a space where we were able to share the experience and vision of República del Cacao as a fine chocolate producer and exporter.
Thanks to the work of this pillar, Community with Purpose, and the Responsible Sourcing pillar, we were recognized with the Seal of Non-Violence, awarded by the United Nations affiliate organization, Non Violence Foundation. Both pillars have reflected ethical and sustainable actions, also promoting gender equality and the inclusion of vulnerable groups, which has strengthened productive networks with a collective spirit.
Environmental Commitment
We work for a greener planet by focusing our processes on ecosystem regeneration.
At República del Cacao, we care for the planet. Therefore, in 2025, we are investing in measuring our carbon footprint as part of our commitment to responsible management. This diagnosis allows us to identify the main sources of emissions in our operations and establish a reduction plan throughout 2026 with concrete actions, directing our efforts toward decreasing our environmental impact.
Furthermore, we modernized the nursery at our Vinces Collection Center by incorporating 7,500 grafted fine aroma cocoa plants. This project has a triple objective: delivering plants to allied farmers in the area for farm renewal, preserving fine cocoa as an emblematic Ecuadorian species, and strengthening traceability.
We produce with conscience for a more sustainable future!
Transparency that builds trust
Transparency is a cross-cutting principle that guides how we work and interact with our entire Community, from producers to chefs. We believe that clearly communicating our progress and challenges strengthens trust, drives continuous improvement, and ensures responsible management.
Thus, in 2025, we strengthened our accountability by launching our second Sustainability Report aligned with international standards and, furthermore, we were recognized by Vistazo magazine as one of the 50 Ecuadorian companies that contributes the most to the SDGs.
During this B Corp Month, we reaffirm that our purpose is lived in each of our 4 pillars and is sustained by an essential value: transparency. Every action we undertake aims to generate a positive impact on people, the planet, and a new form of leadership that seeks a balance between profit and purpose.
Being a B Corp is, for us, a way of managing with consciousness, being accountable with honesty, and demonstrating that it's possible to grow while generating shared value.