Clean + Conscious Awards 2024. Best Drinking Cacao / Chocolate. Celebrating products in Australia & NZ which are Non-Toxic, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially Responsible.

Sacred Earth Community – Ceremonial Cacao

GOLD

Best Drinking Chocolate / Cacao 2024

$59.75

Sacred Earth Medicine’s Ceremonial Cacao is 100% pure, organic whole bean, heirloom Cacao Chuncho from Peru. It is the highest grade, highest vibration, most heart opening cacao available. Simply ground whole bean.

Clean Ingredients / Materials

Made from excellent, clean, organic ingredients.

Ethical Practices

Sacred Earth Medicine Ceremonial Cacao is produced from chuncho nativo cacao beans in Peru, known for their higher quality despite being smaller in size. The farmers prioritise quality over quantity, rejecting larger, lower quality beans including GMO varieties. They pay their farmers more than three and a half times the commodity market price, supporting over 50 community farms and investing in education to improve cacao farming standards in the region. The brand's ethical practices have a positive impact on cacao-growing families in the developing world.

Sustainable Practices

The farmers at Sacred Earth Community are dedicated to cultivating high-quality beans using natural and sustainable farming methods. They employ biodynamic farming techniques, such as shaping cacao trees to facilitate easier harvesting and avoiding damage to growth sites. Symbiotic processes are also in place to eliminate the need for chemicals, such as using ants to control pests on the cacao pods. The farmers practice syntropic farming, planting legumes and other plants to clean the soil and provide compost for new trees. They are also integrating syntropic methods across all farms in the area to rebuild the ecosystem and enhance food production. Sacred Earth Community is working towards using compostable and recyclable materials for packaging, with a goal of 100% compostable packaging. They are continually experimenting with eco-friendly packaging options to maintain product freshness.

Social Impact

Sacred Earth Medicine pays three and a half times the commodity market price for cacao to assist farmers in building and extending production facilities, supporting sustainable farming methods and switching to a syntropic farming model over the next 5+ years. They are also implementing a women's project for hand-peeling cacao beans, providing women with opportunities to work and earn income from home. In Australia, they use Stripe Climate to donate 1% of each order to support projects that mitigate climate change and they use compostable and recyclable materials for packaging and shipping processes.

Expert Reviews

Jade Woodd

This is such a gorgeous product to unravel and unwrap – it is elegance all the way! Beautiful, smooth and great quality pure cacao, that tasted so great blended into a gorgeous ceremonial cacao drink. It was really interesting reading about the specific type of cacao used – an Heirloom, that was otherwise overlooked and chosen in a truly sustainable manner. Choosing ethical cacao can be so hard to navigate, so knowing how Sacred Earth behaves along the whole supply chain is great. Fantastic transparency! The farming practices were so great to learn about, too. Such an all-round great product the WHOLE way through!

Natalie Douglas

Rich, deep, pure and decadent. The earthiness and quality of this cacao are noticeable and something I will use in my own personal cacao ceremonies. Beyond impressed by the commitment to incredibly generous pay for the farmers that allow this product to come to life. As well as the use of biodynamic and syntopic farming practices and truly focusing on quality cacao beans without a compromise to working conditions, the environment or the end result for everyone involved.

Samantha Gilmore

When the product arrived I was in absolute awe with how beautiful the packaging was. We got a beautiful letter and information leaflet which included dosage amounts, which I found extremely helpful. I started off with a mild amount for my first cup. I had such a great time shaving the Cacao from the block. Beautiful, creamy consistency, nice bitterness and it warmed me from the inside out. Absolutely delicious! I also love that they are working on a new project that will involve the employment of women and allow them to work from home. What an amazing opportunity for mums!