80% Dark Chocolate

Madécasse

Madécasse Chocolate & Vanilla was founded by two former Peace Corps volunteers in Madagascar. They fell in love with the country and the people after teaching English there from 1999 to 2001. In the years following, they started to make chocolate and vanilla in Madagascar, gained some outside business experience, and launched the company in 2008. A main goal behind the company is making chocolate where the cocoa grows, as this helps to create jobs in some of the poorest communities in the world. Approximately 70 percent of the cocoa in the world comes from Africa, while less than 1 percent of the world’s chocolate is made there. Their goal is to make chocolate from start to finish in Madagascar and help the industry, farmworkers, and those who love chocolate. Madécasse works closely with cocoa farmers to train them and provide necessary equipment to enhance their output, giving the farmers an opportunity to invest in their own future. To this day, more than four million bars have been made start to finish in Madagascar by Madécasse.
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THE TECHNIQUE

After the beans are harvested, they are wrapped in large plantain leaf “parcels” and fermented in the sun for five to eight days. Next, the beans are dried for eight to 12 days to remove most of the moisture. Throughout this process, the beans change color and begin to take on the traditional “chocolate” flavor. Each farmer harvests and ferments his or her own beans and then dries them. A recorder will then collect and weigh the dried beans and ensure that the quality is high enough to sell. Finally, the recorder sells the beans to the local government, who then sells them to factories where the rich, flavorful beans are turned into Chocolate.

Our artisan partner Madécasse sources cocoa from farmworkers in Madagascar. The chocolate is made with heirloom cocoa, which means it is superior grade and organic cocoa. A main part of Madécasse’s mission is to keep the supply chain — from the first step to the last step — in Madagascar. They have made over four million bars that way!
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Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, with a population of approximately 23 million people and 18 Malagasy tribes of different ethnic make up. These groups include the Merina, Betsileo, Antaimoro, Sakalava, and Betsimisaraka. Although there are racial differences, Malagasy people share a common language and culture because much of the Malagasy culture is influenced by the Asian-African origin of the island’s people, which has lead to a unique and diverse society with complex customs.
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Fair Trade Products

Fair Trade is an approach to international trade centered around equitable partnerships, transparency and respect. It seeks to empower marginalized producers by providing them safe working conditions, fair pay, and a means to establish a sustainable business free from exploitation. As a member of the Fair Trade Federation, we are committed to the Fair Trade principles.
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