Talamanca Cocoa

In Costa Rica, the Bribri women of Talamanca are making organic cacao and chocolate. Unlike monoculture farming, their cacao plants grow in the natural ecosystem, surrounded within rich biodiversity, and conserve the nature and land they inhabit… As their cocoa farms expand, so does the conservation of native rainforest. Their main product is ground cacao patties, which capture the essence of their production. Hockey-puck in size and formed by hand, they are 100% cacao – no sugar added – and the only ingredient needed to make the wonderful hot cacao drink.

This cacao patty could be a great opportunity, but it needed a design effort to showcase the product – from packaging and storing the cacao, to brewing hot cacao, while making the entire experience and process ceremonial.

We created a product ecosystem which included a logo, resalable packaging (inspired by the burlap sacs used to store raw cacao beans made locally, natural and biodegradable, reusable, organic), and an accessory tool used to break-down the hardened patties and brew the hot cacao drink.

The tool is custom built to grate the cacao and then to stir the hot cocoa drink. A built-in hook allows the tool to hang on the rim of a mug before and after use, and it self-cleans as it brews.

Our hope is project that this will bring awareness to the positivity of organic cocoa production, as well as entice and educate viewers. Whether they be consumers or partners, at the end of the day this effort tells a story: organic cacao farming saves rainforest.