Adriano and Gualberto founded Öko Caribe in 2006 with the one goal in mind: raise the standard of quality cacao.

With the knowledge they had built over many years of working with cacao, they believed mainstream was not the way forward. Through the increase in quality and the associated consistency, Öko Caribe creates a sustainable environment for many of the smallholder farmers they're working with. 

From the village Pimentel in San Francisco de Marcois, they work with approximately 160 surrounding farmers. They purchase the wet cacao, bring it within 6 hours to their facility and have it fermented and dried according to strict protocols. Vigor, care and passion has created a superior quality cacao that is recognised by many and has raised the international bar.

In March 2022 we had the pleasure of going to visit Öko Caribe in the Dominican Republic. This was an amazing trip as we always want to ensure we're connecting with everyone along the supply chain. The cacao beans are the most important part of our business, and so too are the people who are growing and harvesting.

We pay a high farm-gate price for the beans.

From the social enterprise, Ingemann in Nicaragua.

O'Tuma is a variety of cacao produced in Waslala, Nicaragua, 189km far from Ingemann's warehouse in Las Maderas. 450 local organic cacao farms contribute.

Their collection team travels weekly to Waslala to pick up the wet cacao so they can carefully ferment and dry at their own facility.

Together with the producers, Ingemann have planted more than 1,000,000 cacao trees adding in the reforestation of Nicaragua.

The CRASVIDMIL Cooperative (Produccion Agropecuaria y Servicios Vision Dos Mil Limitada), located in Honduras’s western Lago de Yojoa region, comprises 52 dedicated cacao producers.

They meticulously select high-quality cacao beans, which are then fermented in wooden boxes for around five days, with a careful turn every 24 hours to ensure even fermentation. Following this, the beans are sun-dried on mesh beds for a seven-day period, with exposure time gradually increased to achieve the perfect balance for quality and flavour.

APACH, the Association of Agroforestry Producers of the Choloma River Basin, is a cooperative consisting of 110 small-scale producers. Located in the mountainous region of El Merendon in Choloma, along Honduras's northern coast, APACH is dedicated to sustainable farming, enhancing members' economic well-being, and fostering producer collaboration.

Their small-scale farms follow organic and agroforestry methods, prioritising soil and water conservation, boosting biodiversity, and supporting reforestation efforts across their lands.