Pacari: a return to origins guaranteed by an ethical and organic chocolate company
Imagine yourself walking barefoot in the Amazonian Forest after a tropical rainfall, surrounded by the damp and fresh smell of the earth. This return to origins, by forming one with nature, is the feeling you will get from entering Pacari’s World.
The ethical, multiple award-winning and socially responsible chocolate company was funded in 2002 by two firm believers of nature’s treasure: Santiago Peralta and Carla Barboto. By combining their passion for sustainable business and a commitment to preserving “Arriba Nacional Cacao” (Ecuador’s national cacao bean), they gave birth to a company that has contributed to changing over 3,500 independent farmer families’ lives. “We hold as one of our proudest achievements the work we have done to improve the lives of the farming families we work with, paying them a fair price for their produce, helping them be more productive, working with them to improve sustainable farming practices, and, from time to time, lending them a helping hand financially” claims Santiago who’s worked with a charity in the aftermath of the recent earthquake in Ecuador to help the affected farmers.
Pacari takes a hands-on approach from start to finish, and practices both environmental and social responsibility in growing and harvesting its fine flavour beans.
The company’s founders aimed at making a chocolate that “tastes good and does good” by providing a decent living to their farmers, traditionally overlooked in the commercialisation of chocolate and bringing a healthy organic chocolate on the market for the wellness of the consumers. Pacari Chocolate is not only organic, it is also free from soya, gluten, dairy and any artificial ingredient so as to offer the healthiest chocolate with the best texture possible.
As an ongoing effort to create a “diversified, balanced farm ecosystem that generates health and fertility as much as possible”, Pacari was the first chocolate company to be certified biodynamic. This type of farming constitutes a "spiritual-ethical-ecological approach" to agriculture, food production and nutrition, which sets it apart from conventional farming. “Preparations made from fermented manure, minerals and herbs are used to help restore and harmonize the vital life forces of the farm and to enhance the nutrition, quality and flavour of the food being raised.”
The association of exceptional quality cacao beans and exotic ingredients such as Lemongrass, Passion fruit, Pink salt or superfoods such as Maca, gives Pacari chocolate a unique character and inimitable taste, which makes the act of eating it a genuine and unforgettable sensorial experience. You can browse their range that we sell here. Their renowned quality has earned them over 130 international chocolate awards since 2012 and Pacari was recognized the world’s best maker of high quality chocolate in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Even the chocolate company Booja-Booja has been using Pacari Chocolate in order to make their famous chocolate truffles.
As someone once said in a moment of poetry inspired by this chocolate: “Pacari’s children are all different. But you love them for different reasons…for their different personalities”. Indeed, Pacari has something for every chocolate lover, from floral, fruity or spicy notes to a plain dark chocolate, making you travel through South America with flavours of the Andean Region (Chili, Peru, Colombia and more) from the first bite on. Pacari’s signification originates from Quechua and means nature. If there is one thing that Pacari has perfectly understood, it’s to stay close to nature. From the very beginning in their pursuit of nature’s treasure, by preserving the genetic richness of Ecuador and staying close to the needs of humans, Pacari has shown the example that any company in the food industry should follow.
If you'd like to find out more about Pacari, here are a couple of great video presentations they have produced for your enjoyment.
Pacari's Story
Learn more about Pacari and chocolate in general
http://www.pacari.com/blogs/news/17770015-what-is-biodynamics-pacari-chocolate-is-the-worlds-first-biodynamic-certified-chocolate-company
https://home.pacarichocolates.uk/blogs/news/116220869-pacari-cacao-farmers-affected-by-ecuadorian-earthquake
http://blog.pacarichocolate.com/?lang=en
Their full range is here