Direct Trade Certified
Taza makes stone ground chocolate that is seriously good and fair for all. From farm to factory, we do things differently. We do things better. We are chocolate pioneers.
It starts with Taza Direct Trade. We said no to predatory middlemen and abusive labor practices. We created the chocolate industry’s first third-party certified Direct Trade cacao sourcing program, to ensure quality and transparency for all. We have real, face-to-face relationships with growers who respect the environment and fair labor practices. They provide us with the best organic cacao, and we pay them prices significantly higher than Fair Trade. In fact, you can
see exactly what we pay them, in our groundbreaking Annual Cacao
Sourcing Transparency Reports.
Taza Direct Trade means more money for farmers, the best cacao for us, and seriously good chocolate for you.
Third Party Certification
We’re serious about transparency and trust. To guarantee the integrity of our Direct Trade program, our five Direct Trade claims are independently verified each year by Quality Certification Services, a USDA-accredited organic certifier based in Gainesville, Florida. See our five verified claims here.
View Our Transparency Reports:
REAL RELATIONSHIPS
We visit the cacao producers that we work with at least once per year. We only buy cacao from growers who ensure fair and humane work practices.
THE BEST CACAO
We only purchase Certified USDA Organic, non-GMO cacao that meets our high quality standards and is approved by the Taza Tasting Panel for its seriously good flavor.
MORE MONEY FOR FARMERS
We pay at least $500 above the market price–– a 15-20% premium––and never less than $2,800 per metric ton for cacao.
“We believe both farmer and chocolate maker should share the reward of making a great product.”
Alex Whitmore, Taza Chocolate co-founderTaza Chocolate and Haiti
We are the first US chocolate maker to purchase premium, organic cacao from Haiti! Watch the journey unfold.