A year in relationships, from our Cocoa Sourcing Manager.

Taza is proud to be a chocolate pioneer. We created our groundbreaking Direct Trade cacao sourcing program in 2006, and in 2010, did something no other chocolate maker had done--we had our direct trade claims independently verified by a third party certifier, to ensure transparency. We still do that every year, and we're still the only direct trade chocolate maker that has done it.

In September, 2011, we took our commitment one step further, and published our first Transparency Report, openly sharing the details of our relationships with our cacao grower partners, right down to the prices we paid them. It was an industry first, and it's been incredibly rewarding to see it provide inspiration to other chocolate makers, and help bring recognition and opportunities to the talented cacao growers we partner with.

We're thrilled to release our 5th annual Transparency Report! It's the first one penned by our new Cocoa Sourcing Manager, Jesse Last. It's full of compelling accounts of our community of grower partners, including our newest relationship in Haiti.

We hope you'll read it and share it. And thanks so much for supporting Taza as we strive to achieve our mission: to make and share stone ground chocolate that's seriously good and fair for all.