Projects
Cacao Talks
República del Cacao promotes the exchange of knowledge among its entire community of farmers, producers, allies, collaborators, chefs and chocolate lovers. República del Cacao's Cacao Talks are born in 2019 as a space to dialogue, share and inspire in community, after a three-year pause due to the pandemic.
The "Cacao Talks" project arises as a space that aims to promote dynamic dialogues through which our partners and we can share valuable perspectives on sustainable development issues and transmit ideas for change in a cross-cutting manner through all the actors in our value chain.
For República del Cacao, being a B Corp is not the end, it is only the way, and its objective is to continue fostering the exchange of knowledge, creating platforms that promote the discussion of transformative ideas and thus add more actors in society on the road to sustainability.
Meet my Farmer
We work with our direct suppliers to promote transparency and traceability of our ingredients, ensuring they are sourced responsibly and sustainably. Our partnerships also include the social and environmental well-being of the communities in which we operate, which is why all our suppliers adhere to our Responsible Suppliers Code, and we make transparent what is behind our origin ingredients.
Fact Sheets:
Chef to Farm
CHEF TO FARM, was born as a project based on an exchange with added value between those who create the raw material for the production of our products, and the Chefs who transform them, both linked through chocolate.
The initiative began during the pandemic, where eleven allied chefs developed different creations with our chocolate that were then sent to our allied farmers in Vinces and Turucucho, as a thank you for their perseverance and resilience during the pandemic quarantine.
In this way, Chef to Farm evolved into an ongoing project, through which we have developed more gastronomic exchanges full of purpose and impact, where chefs and the countryside connect in a unique way and that in 2023 we will resume with strength together with more allied Chefs and academic institutions such as the San Isidro Institute of Cuenca.
Comida Buena
We believe it is essential to develop spaces that encourage the exchange of knowledge to strengthen the cacao and chocolate chain in a cross-cutting and comprehensive manner.
In order to contribute to inclusive and responsible food, we have created the "Comida Buena" project, which seeks to promote the development of social enterprises through gastronomy and chocolate workshops taught by allied Chefs.
In these workshops, different foundations with which we work receive training with knowledge in different gastronomic areas, such as chocolate and pastry making. These trainings allow social entrepreneurs to learn techniques and recipes, as well as to connect with local people and build relationships.
Field Schools
Sustainable Boutiques
In República del Cacao we see sustainability as a process of continuous improvement, a long-term commitment to optimize resources to reduce the environmental impact. Last year we started this conversion in our chocolate-boutiques where we set as a goal to have more conscious stores, every detail was designed thinking about the materials used to be responsible with the environment.
Thus, the woods used in our chocolate-boutiques are planks and natural laurel wood veneer (FSC certified) and ecological lacquers. In the lower parts of the cellars we use MDF which is a medium density fibreboard made of wood reconstituted from pieces or parts of reclaimed wood or wood from planted pine forests. The surface of counters furniture is covered with poly-aluminum panels, which is a compacted material that is presented as an ecological solution to the recovery of plastics and tetrapack containers, which meet quality standards for working with food.
We have planters with natural vegetation, planted on a bed of pine bark to help drainage and maintain humidity. The hanging pots are made of natural coconut fiber, avoiding plastic pots.
Upholstery textiles are made from recycled PET fibers (plastic bottles). We use natural wicker fibers in lamps and product display gondolas hand-woven by Ecuadorian artisans.
We save up to 84% of water by using aerators in our faucets and water-saving toilets. And finally, all lighting is LED.
All these details reinforce the sense of origin, and the new look and feel in our boutiques, creating a positive impact. It is a sign of how we act responsibly, that we are a brand that rescues the origin and work of the community. And that is what sustainability is all about for us, the sum of the efforts that make everything we do consistent with our values and the core of the business.