Aug 11 2010 --- Nahualli Trading Company, master crafter of Chocolate Seeds, announced its agreement for the purchase of organic cocoa beans with FONMSOEAM, an association of certified organic cocoa farmers in Ecuador’s Esmeraldas Province. FONMSOEAM is comprised of 400 small-scale cocoa farmers who support rain forest preservation in their farming practices and work with the non-governmental organization Great Wilderness, which protects tropical ecosystems.

Purchasing directly from farmers and paying a wage above prices identified by the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) for organic cocoa beans (or cacao beans, as they are referred to locally), Nahualli Trading Co. guarantees exceptional quality in its Chocolate Seeds product.

Paul Mosca, owner of Nahualli Trading Co. and gourmet chocolate artisan, noted that the fair trade and organic practices, as well as the ecological sensitivity to the bean growing process, are important to his business from both a product and ethical perspective.

“By going directly to the farmer and not through a broker, we can build a relationship and ensure we are receiving high quality beans,” he said. “We buy our beans from just a few farms, and although we place multiple orders in a year, just one order could pay for a farmer’s entire annual salary. At the same time, we are mindful of our footprint on the environment in all aspects of producing our Chocolate Seeds.”

Mosca’s first order of Chocolate Seeds produced from the organic cocoa beans shipped this week to retailers in Washington, D.C., North Carolina and the Midwest, including the Chocolate Exhibition traveling to natural science museums across the United States.