Sustainability has been on our minds since the very beginning. The idea of sustainable partnerships and business practices is not just a buzzword to leverage bigger goals, but a harsh reality that farmers and suppliers around the world are faced with every day. Far too often are we harming ourselves, others, and the environment by choosing to ignore the broader impact of our actions.
That is why we choose to use sustainability as a compass that guides our actions. From the very beginning, the Moka Origins founders dreamt up a business model while launching a cacao farm focused on land regeneration. Still to this day, we factor our environmental and social impact into every action, product, and partnership we take on.
As our attention is drawn towards Earth day next month, we wanted to highlight some of the recent initiatives that we are involved in and commitments that we have made.
Join Mom’s Organic Market to help Save the Planet
EVENT: Save The Dandelions
WHEN: Saturday 23 and Sunday 24
Each year our incredible partner, Mom’s Organic Market, holds an engaging awareness event about the harmful consequences of lawn pesticides and fertilizers. Over 3 millions tons of fertilizer and pesticides are used annually in America. “However, lawn care chemicals don’t just stay on lawns – they end up in our waterways and airways, are ingested by wildlife, and ultimately damage our ecosystem and personal health”(MOM's Organic market). Join MOM’s, Moka, and many other sustainable brands on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 from 11am - 3pm for samples and kids’ activities, plus opportunities to learn how to care for your lawn organically.
JEFF ABELLA PRESENTS AT YALE UNIVERSITY
TOPIC: Social Responsibility
WHEN: March 30
On Saturday, March 30th, Moka Origins Co-Founder, Jeff Abella, will be presenting to students at Yale University in New Haven, CT. The topic will be on trade ethics and sustainable community development in Africa, especially in coffee and cacao producing communities. He’ll address the primary disadvantages that rural farmers face, and the complex challenges that came with the commercialization of plant based products. Additionally, he'll be showcasing how modern food brands can serve as a vehicle to sustainably invest back into the producing communities of its ingredients. In our case, this means chocolate and coffee farms.
ZERO WASTE INITIATIVE IN HONESDALE
PHOTOCREDIT: HONESDALE ROOTS & RHYTHM
In collaboration with the Himalayan Institute, we have several innovative recycling initiatives in motion. Our most notable is our Zero-Waste Effort, which includes sorting and managing all different types of waste materials. We completely separate our waste and either sell or donate these materials to specialists for commercial repurposing.
When we first started this, we noticed that we were spending a lot more time sorting and managing our waste. This completely increased our awareness of our consumption habits and have made us all much more mindful about reducing the amount of waste we create.
SOCIAL IMPACT UPDATE - KEEP CHECKING IN!
Our data dashboard is live at MokaOrigins.com/Impact and we hope you are keeping an eye on the meaningful statistics updated monthly. We are excited to announce that thanks to you, we have planted over 30,000 trees directly on our farm and planted over 3,000 through our Moka farmers network. This progress isn’t that of our own. It’s because of our 60+ retail partners, our monthly subscribers, and our customers worldwide enjoying Moka Origins products. Together we can make a change, and a delicious change at that! Email our co-founder directly with ideas on how to spread the mission of Moka Origins at Jeff@MokaOrigins.com
Check out Our ImpactTRAVEL WITH MOKA ORIGINS TO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
We pay a premium price, on top of an already specialty-priced bean, for every pound of Dominican Republic’s Reserva Zorzal cacao. These beans are incredibly special, their taste is uncommonly unique, and the post-harvest practices these farmers employ are noteworthy. But even so, the extra costs associated with these beans are not just for their flavor. These farmers are creating global change, migratory impact, and climate change mitigation, using chocolate as their vehicle. So much so, that investing in these beans is an absolute honor and vastly outweighs the price that we pay for them. This is the destination in June 2019 for our Chocolate Rainforest Trip: Reserva Privada Zorzal Estate and the “Forever Wild” conservation forest of the Bicknell's Thrush, located in the Duarte Region of the Dominican Republic. We only have 10 seats open. Register now!