When Chocolate Is a Way of Life

The Quichua people of Ecuador are no longer simply cultivators of cacao, transforming their role into manufacturers and owners, by forming their own cooperative known as Kallari. “Chocolate making has always been less common in cacao producing countries than it has been in Europe, where the technology to create chocolate bars was developed and where such a luxury could be more easily afforded,” writes Jill Santopietro for the New York Times. The growers in the Amazon rain forest once sold their cacao beans for 20 cents per pound, but knew they could do better, after talking with volunteers from NGOs who were otherwise promoting biodiversity. The tribe’s quest caught the attention of major chocolate manufacturers, and with the help of Stephen McDonnell, founder of Applegate Farms organic food company, the group established the Kallari Chocolate Company, while also mastering techniques of cultivation, fermentation of the beans, production and marketing. The Quichuas now sell Kallari bars to a grocery chain in the US, which retail at up to $5.99 per 2.5 ounces. Combining knowledge from the tribe with chocolate-making techniques of the north has raised quality of life for the Quichuas and promotes sustainability for their part of the rain forest. - YaleGlobal