In 1998, a factory was built in Tarapoto, Peru to provide a local buyer that could help stabilize the market for cacao while serving as a training center where farmers could learn how to improve the quality of their production.  Farmers learned techniques that improved the quality and quantity of their beans while preserving the biodiversity that exists in the Peruvian Amazon.  Better beans earn a better price for farmers when they sell their harvest. 

The factory's efforts helped galvanize the farming community's resolve to grow cacao instead of coca.  Providing a local buyer that paid well for cacao was the first part of the plan. 

Current practices have farmers exporting the raw materials for chocolate to Europe where they are mass produced into bars. While benefitting farmers, exporting the ingredients costs the developing community jobs transforming the raw materials into a finished product.  The communities that chose cacao over coca were still in need of economic opportunity.  An additional benefit of having a local buyer that paid well for cacao was that there were now job opportunities for women in Peru.  Women came and learned the techniques involved in making specialty chocolate from some European technicians.  Preserving the flavor and aroma of the beans provided a fuller flavor profile to their chocolate.  Small batches of specialty chocolate have a wide variety of flavors meant to be savored.   

Some people in Peru are still in danger of losing faith in the economic system that was supposed to provide opportunity. 

Socially minded companies and consumers are demonstrating their support for small communities by engaging in trade, bringing small producers to our markets.  Wonderful creations are enjoyed though these small business transactions.

As Local as Chocolate gets