Taza Chocolate y La Red Guaconejo

Linking the Supply Chain – From Cocoa Bean to Chocolate Bar

Francisco Batista, a member of La Red’s Board of Directors

In 2007, La Red met Taza Chocolate, a small bean-to-bar chocolate maker and the only producer in the US of 100 percent stone ground, organic chocolate. The company roasts, winnows, grinds, tempers, and molds chocolate by hand. Taza began to buy its cocoa beans directly from La Red and was so impressed by the cocoa’s quality that the company now buys 90 percent of its cocoa there. In order for La Red to pay its farmer members on time, the cooperative needed a line of credit. Taza provided La Red with an initial loan, but in order to grow and increase its sales, the cooperative needed another source of financing. Read more…