• Announcement
06. March 2023

Chilli, Cuzco salt & nibs, coffee or passion fruit - the new special edition of Paccari chocolate leaves no wish unfulfilled. The chocolate is not only delicious, but also sustainable. Each of the bars bears the inscription organic, fair, vegan on FSC-certified paper, with compostable inner foil.

Since last year, we have been working together with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Ecuadorian chocolate producer Paccari on the premium organic chocolate project. In Kichwa —  one of the indigenous languages spoken in Ecuador —  Paccari means "nature". The goal for Paccari is to produce chocolate along a deforestation-free supply chain, from tree to bar. Therefore, the family business keeps the entire value chain in Ecuador, from tree to bar, and is thus committed to rainforest protection and local development.

From Tree... 

The cocoa plant originates in the Amazon region. In the WWF project regions in Ecuador, the cocoa beans are cultivated in accordance with the ecological standards in agroforestry systems. In these forest gardens, the indigenous Chakra cultivation systems, up to 100 different plant species are planted according to the traditional knowledge of the Kichwa communities. The diversified systems are more resilient and offer many ecological advantages and additionally allow the producers to diversify their income.

In the Chakra system, a woman holds the most important role: she manages the cultivation from sowing and harvesting to the nutrition of the family. While agriculture in Ecuador is still dominated by men, women are taking on more and more tasks. In the Chakra, women are at the top and pass on the  knowledge to future generations. This way, they play a central role in the cultivation of the cocoa, as well as in the processing in the cooperatives. You can find out more about this on the WWF website.

 

… To Bar

To guarantee sustainable and deforestation-free production, the cocoa is sourced from the WWF project areas in the Ecuadorian Amazon and processed by Paccari directly on site. From tree to bar, the family business holds the entire value chain in Ecuador. Finally, Paccari chocolate is imported exclusively to Germany by the trading company Premifair. Here, it can be purchased online in the Paccari Shop as well as in the VollCorner main branch in Munich. Next to Demeter-certified bars, the shop now offers the sustainable WWF special edition of the chocolate.

Photos: © Gabriel Vanerio / WWF

Cocoa Sector in Ecuador  

The project is based on a joint publication by WWF, the Südwind Institute and GIZ from 2022, which examines the challenges and opportunities of the cocoa sector. The requirements and conditions of the Ecuadorian market as well as opportunities for premium cocoa on the European market are examined in detail and build a foundation for the further project.

As a conclusion of the analysis, clear recommendations have been formulated for companies that should play a fundamental role in chocolate production:

  • Transparent and responsible value chains  
  • Deforestation-free sourcing of cocoa and respect for human rights  
  • Fair cocoa prices that generate a living wage for producers   
  • Transparency through physical traceability —  More on traceability 
  • Beteiligung an nationalen Initiativen für entwaldungsfreie Lieferketten  
  • Kleinbäuerinnen und -bauern werden in nachhaltigen Anbaumethoden unterstützt