Certified Indigenous Cacao

Why purchase certified indigenous cacao? There are many reasons to buy authentic indigenous cacao and cupuacu:

• Enhances and preserves the ethnobotanical origins and primitive integrity of cacao;

• Indigenous product certification exceeds all Fair-Trade and Certified Organic standards;

• Wild cacao contains higher levels of alkaloids, antioxidants, flavonoids, terpenes and phytonutrients; 

• Indigenous cacao in most countries is non-state, outside of regulatory controls and is tax-exempt;

• Establishing relationships directly with our indigenous village growers ensures our autonomy;

• Cacao growers and their villages are enabled with community improvements;

• Indigenous growers offer ethnobotanical and cacao hospitality tourism to their villages;

• Limitations on crop production per community ensures chocolate makers an exclusive bean;

• Indigenous cacao is planted consistent with agroforestry and permaculture practices, does not displace existing forests;

• Indigenous cacao can be blockchained with geotags enabling fourth-world nations to maintain their sovereignty;

Indigenous Cacao is an indigenous non-state, non-governmental and non-profit collective label certification initiative started by the Huǫttųją Foundation with Globcal International and the Colombia Indigenous Council (Organización Nacional Indígena de Colombia or ONIC). The INDIGENEITY label can only be applied to products produced by geographically located registered villages and communities that keep with their original indigenous culture, customs and traditions. 

Through agroforestry grants and sponsorships chocolate makers can finance individual indigenous cocoa growers, visit the community, establish sourcing agreements, plant new trees, stay for the year, improve the fermentation methods and leave with samples or a whole shipment. The Huǫttųją Foundation provides the legal documentation and certification based on indigenous village chiefs their ambassadors and sponsors. Actual visitors may also be adopted by tribes and be recognized honorarily; there are all sorts of possibilities with a consultation, thus we have the foundation and Globcal International.

Indigenous Cacao is Rare, Single-Origin, Heirloom and Wild Grown

In the jungles of the Amazon and the forests of the Guiana highlands in South America there are more than 300 indigenous tribes and over 500 sources of fine, aromatic, heirloom and wild grown cacao of three different types and six cultivars perhaps more. Some of these varieties of cacao are similar, but really, none are the same. There are many differences from one community to the next, some communities are better experienced with cacao than the rest, some communities have underutilized cacao crops, there are many variables. Designations like Amazonas, Piaroa and Venezuela should be avoided when describing 'indigenous' cacao in a region greater in size than the world's 5th largest country. Recent profiling of five cacaos labelled Piaroa from various villages have shown incredibly different flavor profiles and three types of cacao.

• Whether cacao is authentically INDIGENOUS is probably the most important 1st level consideration when selecting a grower in Central and South America; indigenous cacao should be grown by a known indigenous ethnic group (village) and it should be originated from within indigenous territory. Indigenous cacao and other products are exempt from export and import duties, tariffs, trade restrictions, taxes and national regulation; indigenous cacao is also considered non-profit. Some products may be provided with a certificate of authenticity with a photograph.

• Today the cacao should be SUSTAINABLE, this can be a major factor to consider when identifying an indigenous grower; how many trees the grower has in production, how many trees are planted each year, harvest dates, harvest volume, access to shipping routes and degree of difficulty to deliver the cacao to them at an FOB point.

• What TYPE, VARIETY or SPECIES is the third most important consideration, in the Northern Amazon Region for example, there are Amelonado, Arriba, Criollo, Chuao, Heirloom, Porcelana, and Trinitario all being cultivated in the wild by indigenous natives from 10 or more tribes between the 1950 and 1980s, a photograph of the representative fruits and details regarding the fermentation process are important. 

• Where the cacao is being SOURCED from is the third most important factor to consider. The source is indicated using the name of the nearest navigable RIVER, the name of the branch CREEK and the name of the indigenous VILLAGE.  The terroir can vary significantly based on different soil types, altitudes, and being grown in the shade with or without mulch.

• If the cacao is NON-INDIGENOUS and grown in the Amazonas Regions of Brazil, Colombia, Peru or Venezuela shall not be marked as INDIGENOUS and must name the GROWER, STATE and COUNTRY NAME.  Indigenous cacao should be marked with the tribal territory name and/or recognized tribe without the country name. 

• If the cacao is originated as INDIGENOUS then it is considered a product of agroforestry or permaculture that is PURE, ORGANIC and WILD abbreviated POW, indigenous products generally need to be grown or produced in undeveloped autonomous territories or Fourth World Nations. 

Specially prepared indigenous cacao can be enhanced through advanced fermentation processes using fruits and tannins native to indigenous peoples through their environments. Indigenous chocolate may be enhanced with plant spirit medicine, medicinal plants, plant extracts and forest fruits when prepared as a ceremonial sacrament. There are a number of indigenous villages seeking sponsorships through the Huǫttųją Foundation. 

Preserving Indigenous Civilization with Agroforestry

Through sustainable agricultural and ecological practices the Huǫttųją have demonstrated that they well-prepared to fight climate change through planting cacao, cupuacu and other forest crops. They have also demonstrated they have the desire to make their own pure natural, organic, nutritional, ceremonial and artisanal chocolate products. 

New Chocolate Factory Project

We are currently working with Ecology Crossroads Cooperative Foundation in Kentucky and Globcal International to produce our own chocolate bars here in Venezuela using natural fruits, herbs, medicinal plants and spices under a special program involving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Agenda. 

You can support or partner with our project by making a donation, grant or sponsorship to support the agricultural production of forest based crops through this special SDG program benefitting Piaroa communities directly.

Private individuals can participate by investing as a subscriber to equity or by becoming a member of our cooperative ecologically sustainable social enterprise. 

To learn more about the De'Aruhuä Brand and our new chocolate factory project please see our new page.