The story of our two new couvertures Grand Cru Chakra Nori 70% 66h and Grand Cru Chakra Lait 40% 36h begins in the Chakra gardens of the indigenous Kichwa community in the Amazon region of Ecuador. Here, in an ecosystem that has grown over thousands of years, the Nacional fine flavoured cocoa thrives under ideal climatic and geological conditions in complete harmony with nature. The members of the Kallari cooperative run by Kichwa harvest, ferment and dry the cocoa before it starts its journey to Europe. The word “Kallari” means “beginning” in the language of the Kichwa people. For one Chakra – the name has nothing to do with the Indian term for the human energy centre – the Kichwa usually clear about a quarter of a hectare of rainforest. In doing so, they take care not to interfere too much with nature and to keep the biodiversity of the areas at a high level. This is a climate-friendly alternative to the imported monoculture that has caused great damage to the rainforest. The harvesting of the cocoa and the care of the Chakras is still done by hand. One hectare of land used as Chakra is home to up to 100 animal and plant species. Often, Chakras are created on land that was previously used as gardens and allowed to recover during a fallow period of two to three years. The cocoa trees, which have always been planted in the Chakras, benefit like all other plants from the nutrients in the soil and the protection of taller trees, which provide shade and keep the soil from drying out. Intact nature also prevents diseases and plagues. Thus, the Kichwa can completely do without the use of chemical products. In addition, the mixed culture has a very positive effect on the quality of the fine cocoa, which develops a variety of interesting aromas. The families who belong to the Kallari cooperative can cover the costs of their health care and the education of their children, among other things, through cocoa cultivation. In addition to the cocoa trees, they have enough cultivated land for self-sufficiency. In addition, the following is special: 62 percent of the Chakras are run by women. Elsewhere, it is almost exclusively men who take care of cocoa production. We were immediately fascinated by this project. For us, sustainability means respecting not only nature, but also the social structures of the people who produce the cocoa. The beginnings of the Kallari Cooperative go back to 1997. At that time, about 40 partners decided to join together to form a farmers’ cooperative. The Kallari Cooperative has been legally constituted since December 2003. In 2005, it sold 4 tonnes of cocoa to Felchlin for the first time, and 12.5 tonnes the following year. Since then, Kallari Cooperative and the Swiss company have been in regular exchange, with both sides attaching great importance to the independence of the cooperative. Felchlin is available as an advisor and checks before each new delivery whether the quality of the cocoa corresponds to that of the reference samples, but the partner in Ecuador is responsible for the cultivation, harvesting, fermentation and drying. A look at the development of the Kichwa’s earnings gives an idea of how positively the work of the Kallari cooperative affects their lives: The hourly wage rose from the equivalent of about 30 centimes to an amount between 1.50 and 2 francs thanks to the independence from intermediary trade and the fluctuating world market prices. This is more than three times the usual wage in the region. In addition, the cooperative also improves the living situation of more than 1000 families who do not belong to it by helping them to sell cocoa at the same conditions. Simultaneously as the wages increased, the need to implement cultivation practices that are harmful to the environment decreased. The cooperative’s latest project is the construction of its own chocolate factory. Since 2008, it has had chocolate bars made from its cocoa and sold under the Kallari label. Thanks to the structures that have been created in recent years, well-educated Kichwa no longer seek their fortune abroad, but have promising prospects in their homeland. Moreover, the younger generations recognise the value of the knowledge handed down over thousands of years, which helps decisively to preserve the culture of the Kichwa and their great knowledge.
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