Criollo, Trinitario, Amelonado, Forastero, Nacional, CCN51, ICS95… What does all this actually mean? We in the specialty cacao industry are nerds about our beans, scrutinizing pods, studying farming methods, postulating on factors in flavor development, and observing changes in bean physical and sensory attributes over time. We’re hungry to understand…

Learn about post-harvest processing and the quality control process. Happy Summer! While school is out of session and camps may not be happening, we thought sharing some educational resources about where chocolate comes from and how cacao is grown and processed might make a good summer learning project! These videos…

While it is clear that we are just at the beginning of a long road ahead towards a more self-aware, equitable, and anti-racist chocolate industry, we have been inspired and activated by the conversations that have started. As we listen to and learn from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color…

How does ABOCFA fit in the Uncommon Cacao supply chain? We at Uncommon Cacao are always considering how to create the most impact we can through our business, and how to best prioritize new origins in our supply chain as we grow. When we acquired the cacao brokerage from Taza…

Every year since 2012, Uncommon Cacao has published a Transparency Report showing pricing data for our supply chain and sharing stories and information about the incredible producers from whom we source our beans. We were the first cacao export company to publish a report of this kind, and to date…

There’s been a lot of talk in the chocolate industry lately about Cadmium. Most of this has been sparked by the European Union’s regulations on Cadmium in cocoa beans, as well as California’s Proposition 65. We set out to unscramble some of the confusion that’s been circulating about whether cadmium…

by Emily Stone Historically when I’m asked this question, the first thing that comes to mind is “We’re an intermediary.” But then I don’t say that. I say “We’re a supply chain company.” I find myself avoiding the words that would accurately place Uncommon Cacao in the supply chain —…

originally published — https://unreasonable.is/removing-child-labor-deforestation-poverty-from-cost-of-chocolate/ When you think about chocolate, what comes to mind? Maybe brownies, truffles, or thick hunks of dark chocolate. Do you know where chocolate comes from? For most consumers, the answer to this question might stop at “the supermarket.” Maybe you’ve heard of cocoa beans, or are…

Belize has just two highways, one running north-south and one running east-west. You can drive for miles any day of the week without passing another vehicle. Nearby El Salvador squeezes a population of over 6 million in essentially the same geographic size as Belize, which has only 380,000 citizens. …