Our Newest Cacao Origin Starts Here

In 2025, I made an initial trip to Togo to explore the region and meet potential cacao partners. I returned in early 2026 to move this partnership forward and deepen those relationships. While there, I met the cacao farmers in Badou and saw the beans that are now making their way across the Atlantic to our factory in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.

Trips like this are a reminder that the chocolate we make in our factory starts with people at origin. And right now, our first container of Togolese cacao is somewhere in the ocean, on its way to becoming something we’re excited to share.

A New Origin in the Heart of the Cocoa Belt

Togo is a French-speaking country in West Africa, bordered by Ghana and Benin, positioned right in the heart of the cocoa belt. While Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire often dominate the cacao conversation, Togo remains a bit of a hidden origin, one with immense potential and a strong agricultural foundation.

Togo is striking in its simplicity. The sun sets in a deep orange over the Atlantic, casting light across a golden coastline that stretches for miles. It’s quiet, expansive, and unexpectedly beautiful. As you move inland, the landscape begins to change. A series of mountain ranges shapes the geography and creates a natural corridor for agriculture. It’s within this band that cacao thrives—a narrow but fertile stretch that sits right in the heart of the West African cocoa belt.

We are sourcing our cacao in collaboration with Gebana, a pioneer in Faire trade and direct sourcing, working closely with an Organic Fair Trade Cooperative named IKPA in the village of Badou.

The IKPA cooperative brings together about 740 farmers across 25 villages, each tending small family plots averaging about 3.7 acres. Founded in 2017 through Gebana’s farmer outreach programs, IKPA supports growers with training, tree planting, and coordinated logistics, helping farmers grow cacao and but build long-term, sustainable livelihoods.

Preparing Our First Container

One of the most powerful moments of the trip was seeing our first container of Togo cacao being prepared for shipment.

There’s something satisfying about watching that process unfold. Your bags being filled, weighed, tested and stacked. It’s the result of months of work and careful planing coming together at once.

We spent time measuring moisture levels, reviewing quality parameters, and ensuring the beans were ready for export.

Time in Badou

While in Togo, we traveled inland to the community of Badou to meet farmers directly.

I stayed in the town’s only hotel (hotel Abuta) where I even found a cacao pod embroidered into my pillow! Waking up early in the morning, taking a cold bucket shower and then sipping locally roasted robusta coffee while watching the mist lift from the valleys as the sun came up is one of my favorite moments. Badou reminded me a lot of Kumbo Cameroon, where our coffee and cacao adventure all began.

There’s something about those early mornings in a farming village that really stays with you. Even as I write this, back in PA, I try to ground myself in the calmness of West Africa. A quiet kind of fulfillment that’s hard to explain but easy to feel when you’re there.

We visited several farms where farmers welcomed us in and walked us through their production. Most are small, family-run plots deeply tied to both land and livelihood.

After two years of rising cocoa prices, there was a noticeable sense of reward as well as uncertainty for what lies ahead regarding price volatility. One farmer shared how he was finally able to buy a motorcycle—something that not only improves his mobility, but directly supports his ability to provide for his family.

Meeting the co-op was one of the most meaningful moments of the trip. We showed them the packaging we've designed for our chocolate, packaging that tells their story. Getting their feedback and approval before it goes to print felt like closing a loop that rarely gets closed in this industry.

Flavor That Reflects the Land

The cacao from Badou is earthy, floral, with a subtle note of coconut. We find that it is balanced and approachable and an origin that speaks to a wide range of palates without losing its character.

Back in Honesdale: Preparing for Arrival

While the container makes its way across the Atlantic, the work is already underway here in Honesdale.

On the production floor, Beth, Ashley, Fern, and our chocolate bar team are eager to bring this cacao into their workflow. The base flavor profile makes it incredibly versatile and something we’re excited to build into our core chocolate bar lineup.

Our lead chocolate maker, Joe Kennedy, is seasoning new chocolate equipment to ensure a smooth start when the beans arrive. Steve is installing new chocolate plumbing, literally moving liquid chocolate from one room to another, to help us scale production more efficiently.

Our roaster, Josh Diaz, is ready and also very much in the thick of preparing for the volume ahead.

And behind the scenes, Mark and Prashant are working on packaging for this Togo origin. 

Looking Ahead

As this first container makes its way across the ocean, it represents the beginning of a long-term partnership with farmers in Badou and a commitment to transparent, direct trade.