CHLOE CHOCOLAT

EL CEIBO COOP - BOLIVIA

In 2007 Chloé was contacted by a co-operative of cocoa farmers in Bolivia, in the heart of Latin America, who asked her to come and help them develop a range of chocolate for export, the first chocolate 100% produced by the cocoa growers.

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Chloé, who spent three years of her childhood living in Bolivia, accepted the invitation with pleasure. This was the beginning of a beautiful and rewarding collaboration that allowed El Ceibo to develop a range of chocolate for the gourmet market, and distribute it worldwide. El Ceibo is the first — and so far only — brand of chocolate made 100% from the bean to the shelf by the cocoa farmers themselves. 

El Ceibo is a large umbrella co-operative of 1500 cocoa producing families in the Alto Beni region in the north of Bolivia. The co-operative was founded in 1977 by a group of Indians of the High Plateau who, following two consecutive years of crippling drought, migrated to the sub-tropical region of Bolivia to save themselves from famine, and subsequently decided to grow cocoa.  

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Over the years the El Ceibo co-operative has grown and attracted other small co-operatives. Today it represents 55 unions of cocoa growers working together to build a better future for their children. 

El Ceibo is one of the few producer co-operatives int he world with their own processing plant which transforms cocoa into semi-finished chocolate products such as cocoa powder and cocoa butter. Between 1997 and 2007 El Ceibo transported the cocoa, fermented and dried by its members, from the cultivation area 500 metres above sea level, to the plant located at 4100 metres above sea level, on the outskirts of La Paz. Part of this cocoa is exported and used as the raw material for chocolate production in Europe and the US (Alter Eco, Rapunzel, Claro etc.). Another part of this cocoa was used to produce semi-finished chocolate products for the domestic and international market, and the remaining cocoa was transformed into chocolate and confectionary for the international consumer. 

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Since 2007, and through the collaboration with Chloé Doutre-Roussel, el Ceibo has been producing a range of gourmet chocolate that is exported around the world to Japan, the US and many countries in Europe. These products have also been very successful in the domestic market which represents 60% of sales (and outselling the imported Lindt 70% bar). The range is an international success that continues to grow. 

BEYOND FAIR TRADE

Cocoa produced by El Ceibo is certified Fair Trade and organic. However Bolivia does not produce any similarly certified sugar. The nearest neighbour producing certified organic and Fair Trade sugar is Paraguay, but when El Ceibo embarked on this adventure they decided it would be irrational to import sugar in order to be able to label their chocolate organic and Fair Trade. Firstly they decided it was better to support Bolivian farmers and to make a product that is 100% Bolivian. Secondly the negative impact on the environment of transporting sugar from another country is counter to their values. El Ceibo's priority is to produce a good product that consumers enjoy, that simultaneously helps the farmers and the environment. They vowed to be proud of their product and proud of their work. 

El Ceibo is the first — and to date only — gourmet chocolate brand in the world made 100% from bean to shelf by the farmers themselves. El Ceibo is responsible for all harvesting, fermentation, drying and transport of their beans, plus the processing into chocolate in their factory, packing, shipping and billing. It is true that their product could benefit from organic and Fair Trade labels, but could you find a more equitable model of product development?