“The momentum of value.”
An interesting thing happens when you embrace your community, purchasing local products from local people. You realize that behind the certifications, the licenses and the random propaganda we are all people, vibrant beings with needs and wants. I don’t have any statistics to quote or data to source, but when you support your community you put faces on your products and relationships in your network. I can tell you from experience, as a Chef that supports local farms there is a big difference between the way a new pastry assistant or cook will treat an ingredient if they know its story, where it came from and who cared for it while it was being grown. When you value something it shows and when you present something of value to someone, it can be perceived. Fostering a culture of respect for our ingredients and the people who forage or grow them reduces the amount of product we need because wasting it is out of the question, a key step in creating a sustainable business.
"It starts with people"
Of course purchasing locally by itself will not change the world. That’s why at Chokola’j® we also support organic cacao farmers getting fair prices for their crops. Most folks want to do the right thing, but the environment tends to take the back seat when people are struggling to survive. When communities are educated and can sustain their own needs the environment also benefits, but it starts with people. By supporting fair wages we are supporting education, sustainable farming and the humanity that follows.
"Taking action”
Before we sold our first chocolate we knew we wanted to create a sustainable business model. As our business grows, so do the opportunities to decrease our impact on the environment. Below are some of the things we are doing right now:
An interesting thing happens when you embrace your community, purchasing local products from local people. You realize that behind the certifications, the licenses and the random propaganda we are all people, vibrant beings with needs and wants. I don’t have any statistics to quote or data to source, but when you support your community you put faces on your products and relationships in your network. I can tell you from experience, as a Chef that supports local farms there is a big difference between the way a new pastry assistant or cook will treat an ingredient if they know its story, where it came from and who cared for it while it was being grown. When you value something it shows and when you present something of value to someone, it can be perceived. Fostering a culture of respect for our ingredients and the people who forage or grow them reduces the amount of product we need because wasting it is out of the question, a key step in creating a sustainable business.
"It starts with people"
Of course purchasing locally by itself will not change the world. That’s why at Chokola’j® we also support organic cacao farmers getting fair prices for their crops. Most folks want to do the right thing, but the environment tends to take the back seat when people are struggling to survive. When communities are educated and can sustain their own needs the environment also benefits, but it starts with people. By supporting fair wages we are supporting education, sustainable farming and the humanity that follows.
"Taking action”
Before we sold our first chocolate we knew we wanted to create a sustainable business model. As our business grows, so do the opportunities to decrease our impact on the environment. Below are some of the things we are doing right now:
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