What's in a name? Pacari means nature in Quechua, an Andean indigenous language, and that’s what we’re all about, making the most of nature’s ingredients and protecting and defending her.
Pacari is a family-owned Ecuadorian company with a simple mission: to produce the highest quality organic dark chocolate in the world in the most ethical and sustainable way possible. And we’re doing well so far.
There are so many reasons to love Pacari, to break it down for you, we’ve listed our top three reasons below.
1. Ethical Pacari Chocolate is the highest rated "Best Buy ethical chocolate" in the UK within 109 products, by Ethical Consumer Magazine Producing from Tree to Bar in Ecuador Pacari chocolate is produced and packaged in Ecuador, a country where cacao beans actually grow. In contrast, ‘Bean to Bar’ chocolate is where cacao beans are imported from developing countries with the rest of the production taking place in the UK or other non cacao growing countries. When chocolate is produced from ‘Tree to Bar’ this allows over 50% of the wealth to stay in the country of origin and contribute to its development. With sustainable ‘Bean to Bar’ chocolate, typically less than 7% remains in the country.
Sadly on the UK market around 1% of the chocolates available are produced in cocoa growing countries. This is your chance to support one of them and make a greater impact. Supporting Local Farmers and Communities Pacari supports over 4,000 families in Ecuador. Pacari supports local farmers by working with them directly, not with middle men doing what is known as direct trade. We pay these farmers a significant premium over market prices and fairtrade cacao prices, to ensure they are fairly compensated for their products and hard work.
Pacari also supports the local economy in other ways by creating job opportunities beyond farming such as technicians, designers, chocolatiers and sales and shop staff, this also generates important know-how in Ecuador, that is also very valuable for its communities and economy. Pacari is working with indigenous communities in the Zancudo Cocha community, in a project with WWF-Ecuador, paying and supporting them to get the organic certification, Pacari also pays 60% more than local average price providing the communities with fair and on-time payments, helping them to improve their livelihoods and protect the environment.
Ethical; Fair Trade and B Corporation certified enterprise Pacari Chocolate is one of the very few chocolates that not only uses fair trade certified cacao beans, but has been recognised as Guaranteed Fair Trade Enterprise by the World Fair Trade Organisation. By achieving this certification Pacari has shown once again that it is a company that transforms the communities in which it works with farmers, promotes environmental care, empowers women and practices organic agriculture. The WFTO seal guarantees that members are fair trade companies, which makes them pioneers in business models that prioritise people and the planet.
Pacari Chocolates is proud to be a Certified B Corporation which is the mark of businesses that balance purpose and profit. Pacari is now one of the selected companies across the world to have achieved this certification which legally requires them to show how they have considered the impact of their business decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. The B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high quality jobs with dignity and purpose. Protecting Nature Pacari only uses ingredients that are 100% certified organic. This means that no pesticides, harmful fertilisers or genetically modified products were used in any part of the supply chain.
Pacari is also one of the only chocolate companies with the Demeter Biodynamic Certification. This is awarded when material production takes place in an auto-regenerative ecosystem free from chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers, maintaining an ecological balance between animals, insects, soil, plants and humans and protecting biodiversity. Our award winning chocolates are a perfect example of team work between WWF Ecuador, Pacari and the indigenous communities in Cuyabeno in the Ecuadorian Amazon, who strive for sustainable livelihoods and responsibility towards their natural environment. The cacao that Pacari uses is an excellent alternative for them: it grows in areas of agroforestry, under the shade of native trees, resulting in protecting the biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest and avoiding deforestation, which is a huge issue in the cacao industry where most of the cacao comes from plantations made in deforested areas. Together we support these communities in the sustainable development of this amazing cacao fino de aroma, one of the finest cacao in the world.
Pacari's chocolate are all palm oil free and soy free, which is one way of disassociating us from deforestation of the Amazon rain forest caused by this. Pacari does not use any cacao from big monoculture cacao plantations that most of the time are related to deforestation caused by cacao. Pacari wants to contribute to keep the biodiversity from the Amazon rainforest and it is what it takes different actions that contribute make this possible. Compostable package, plastic free and recycling to reduce waste. Recently during 2020 we started to add to our line the chocolate bars with 100% compostable inner packaging, this means that the material use to protect the chocolate bars inside our boxes is completely compostable with water (humidity) in just 180 days and does not leave any sort of damaging residues. Today all our 50g chocolate bars, most of our mini bars and chocolate covered fruits are with this packaging.
In addition to this all of our packaging is 100% recyclable. Plant trees in the Amazon Rainforest in Peru From the end of July 2019 we started to partner with One Tree Planted charity, aiming to help them to plant thousands of new trees in the Amazon rainforest of Peru, Offsetting all employees carbon footprint and all business travel, planting trees on our company forest and funding climate projects.
Award-Winning to date Pacari has won over 300 international chocolate awards. This is because Pacari prioritises taste above all else and so only uses the finest Ecuadorian Cacao beans. Our chocolate is made from Arriba Nacional cacao beans. Known as “Fino de Aroma’ these beans are known for their rich, full taste and their fruity and floral notes.
