I was born and raised in a family with a long history in cocoa. From great-grandparents’ farm to today’s business, the world of cocoa is embedded in every aspect of my family’s lives. We remain family owned and operated, and even though being a small business has its challenges, we believe it is beneficial to everyone: the farmers, who can have a direct outlet through us, and the consumer, who can find out truthfully how their food has been grown, harvested, and process without child slavery, abusive corporate trade, and mixing and rebranding with lower quality raw material.
I have plenty of happy childhood memories visiting the cocoa plantations from my great-grandparents and their neighbors, who were also small farmers. It developed my love for plants and animals, and just the simple joy of being able to play in the dirt, swim in rivers, and eat fruits straight from the trees. That is what food should be, and that is why we understand our products and business more than most.
My father, Jose initiated the first step to process the beans. As a mechanical engineer, he founded a factory and spent nearly 50 years developing new technology to process these beans minimally, preserving the nutritional value of natural food. My studies and degree in chemical engineering also gave me a solid background to understand all the processing and composition of cocoa and its derivatives. This allows us to spot any false claims and impossible process descriptions that are told by some sellers in the cocoa trade. This is one of the less pleasant aspects of the food industry. There are also many middlemen who will not let their customers choose any farm in origin, acting as exporter and impotrter, claiming being part of the process when they don't even have a processing facility.
In 2003, I created our own cocoa supply company to trade directlly, manufacture, and deliver cocoa and other specialty ingredients straight to our customers. Our products come from our own processing plant in Ecuador with personal friendships and partnership with various small farmers and co-ops, or any farm the customer may choose. Our traceability provides proof of the origin of the beans, and we provide testing of each lot as demanded by the USDA and European regulations.
Here in CocoaSupply you will find a family of cocoa nerds. We constantly look for technical innovation, and new ways to implement eco-friendly farming and agroforestry. Sourcing only ethically and quality beans, we promote social responsibility and a fair price to farmers. We offer different levels of a real and unique direct trade with the farmers, with a full transparent price traceability, and easy, hassle-free delivery and availability. Our customers range from large manufacturers to smaller businesses and food enthusiasts. As I am writing this introduction to our family's long journey, I can’t help but to reach over to a little jar I keep on my desk. I grab a handful of our cocoa nibs to start snacking… Welcome to our family!
- Leila