Crafting chocolate with Nature
Branding X Humanity 02
Imagine starting your workday in a tropical food forest. While listening to the lively birdsong all around you, you make your way down the trail that winds its way through the trees dappled with sunlight. A smile appears on your face when you stop at the nearest cacao tree. The large cocoa pods dangling from its branches speak of yet another promising cocoa harvest. Looking back with a warm feeling in your heart, you realize your efforts were worth your while after all. Like a dream come true.
This is the dream that came true for a young couple who moved to a patch of land in the Ecuadorian rainforest some 10 years ago and transformed it into a thriving sustainable craft chocolate company by the name of Mashpi Chocolate. When Agustina and Alejandro moved to their newly acquired farm in the Mashpi River valley, nestled in the very biodiverse Chocó Andino region, they knew they had their work cut out for them. Although conserved forest covered some 80% of the land, the remaining 20% was in a poor state. Extensive cattle farming, deforestation and the use of agrochemicals in the past, had left a legacy of pastures overgrown with grass, heavily compacted and depleted soil and a proliferation of monocultures.
Restoring the ecosystem
Fortunately, they identified several species of cacao that were endemic to the region. This heirloom cacao, or heritage cacao, thrived in the shade of the trees. Agustina and Alejandro decided to propagate these cacao plants in the grasslands together with other species of plants from the forested part of their land. Among these were several old cultivars that had been used by local communities for many generations to produce food. By replanting the cacao and the cultivars, Agustina and Alejandro had begun to restore the ecosystem.
They did this by cultivating their crops on the 12 principles of permaculture. Permaculture, a portmanteau of permanent agriculture, was pioneered by the late Australian biologist Bill Mollison but has undoubtedly been practiced by humanity since the dawn of agriculture. It is defined as: the conscious design and maintenance of an agriculturally productive ecosystem, which has the same diversity, stability and resilience that natural ecosystems have. This means working with Nature to provide a well-balanced and sustainable food system. Among other things, it involves regenerating the soil, relying on natural pest control methods, maintaining diversity, adapting to the environment and only taking what you need.
Mashpi Chocolate was born
Before long, the various trees and plants on Agustina and Alejandro’s farm began to bear fruit. Besides a plentiful harvest of cocoa beans for the manufacture of chocolate, they were rewarded with various fruits, nuts and other produce, as well as the seeds and fruits from plants like cardamom, passion fruit, black pepper and macambo. As it turned out, the latter were excellent additional flavourings for their chocolate. Once they had harvested the cocoa beans, they embarked on the next stage of their journey: selling the cocoa to chocolate manufacturers.
This proved to be quite a challenge. First of all, they had no direct access to the manufacturers and therefore had to go via a middleman. This left Agustina and Alejandro with a very small profit margin, making the farming of cacao unprofitable. Besides not getting a fair deal, the manufacturing process went against their principles. The manufacturers mixed their cocoa beans with other cocoa beans that were more than often hybrid beans that came from trees that had been sprayed with pesticides and therefore contained toxins. So, they decided to set up their own on-site manufacturing process. After several adjustments, the first chocolate bars were produced and ready to be introduced to the market. Mashpi Chocolate was born.
Food sovereignty
Pretty soon, Agustina and Alejandro realized they could not manage this ‘farm to bar’ operation on their own. So, they invited family, friends and people from the nearby community to join them in their venture to produce and market their chocolate. Each member of this small yet powerful cooperative has their own specific role, varying from farm work, plant care and harvesting to manufacturing, packaging and sales. Together, they not only provide chocolate lovers around the world with a very authentic and unique handcrafted chocolate, they also demonstrate that is possible to do this in a regenerative, organic, conscious and fair way while producing food for themselves as well.
By producing their own food in a regenerative way, Mashpi has food sovereignty. What this comes down to is that they can live on the produce from their food crops while getting income through the sale of chocolate manufactured from their cocoa crops. The way they operate soon caught the attention of other farmers. Now Mashpi educates them in doing the same so that they too are not solely dependent on the sale of just one crop. And it is not just farmers whom Mashpi shares their know-how with. On a tour of the farm, visitors are provided with information, experiences and insights. In this way, Mashpi seeks to create awareness around environmental stewardship. They encourage others to work with Nature, as opposed to controlling it, in order to create a sustainable way of life for everyone and for generations to come.
Leading by example
This is one of the things I love about Mashpi. They share unconditionally. They share with others so that they too are able to lead healthier, happier lives. This also shows in the organizations they collaborate with. At present, they have partnerships with Choiba, Imaymana Foundation, Guardians of Seed Network and the International Analog Forestry Network, and they also have ties with Slow Food. What these organizations have in common is striving for a fair and sustainable world where we live in harmony with each other and with Nature. A world where the individual and the collective are valued equally.
The way I see it, Mashpi practices an organic form of branding that is in line with the way they practice farming. Instead of targeting their audience with a rigid strategy that is very sales-oriented, they share their day-to-day experiences by way of storytelling on Instagram, Facebook, their blog and in their newsletters. It feels laid-back, pure and down to earth. Every time I take in one of their stories, it is as if I am there experiencing it with them. Many of us try to practice what we preach. Mashpi preaches what it practices. Sticking to their principles, they lead by example.
Sharing selflessly with the community
This goes to show that being true to yourself pays off in the long run. Besides living the life they love and being rewarded for it, Mashpi has also received several awards and certifications for its contribution to the craft chocolate industry and its advocacy for fair and sustainable business practices. Most of all, by sharing selflessly with the community, the community shares with them. In the end, everyone benefits. So, kudos to this collective of individuals who see beyond their own needs and really put their hearts into creating something that the whole community benefits from. Thank you Mashpi for sharing your story with me. Putting it to paper in this post, made my heart glow. Now I look forward to seeing where your journey of crafting chocolate with Nature takes you.
Captivate your audience
Thank you for reading this post. I would love to know your thoughts and feelings on what I have written. So, please comment below or in an email to email@wimbeunderman.com and be sure to subscribe to my blog if you want to be notified of new posts. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram or YouTube. And feel free to contact me if you want me to captivate your audience through powerful brand storytelling.
Wim Beunderman
Straight to the Heart
Images
All images were provided courtesy of Mashpi Chocolate.
Connect with Mashpi Chocolate
Website: https://www.mashpichocolate.com
Webshop Ecuador: https://www.mashpichocolate.com
Webshop rest of the world: https://choiba.com
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