Carbon Footprint Reduction, One Chocolate Bar at a Time

The chocolate plant that is used to process the bars was built for sustainable chocolate production and is based on an energy system that is both cost effective and environmentally friendly.

08/08/07 Terra Nostra Organic chocolate, is a small but intent chocolate company leader in its industry by paving the way to a cleaner, greener means of chocolate production and is proud to announce its energy sustainability practices: Terra Nostra is proudly Green-e certified for its US manufactured bars as well as using energy efficient plants in Switzerland for its non dairy ingredient Ricemilk Choco bars.

Terra Nostra Organic offsets 100% of its carbon emissions of all its bars manufactured in the US by purchasing wind power credits (RECs) through Clean and Green as well as being certified by the leading US green energy third party-certifier known as Green-e. All 248,000 kWH of Terra Nostra's annual usage is the equivalent of taking 512,145 lbs of CO2 out of the environment.

The RECs are bought directly from community based wind farms, allowing the profits to be maintained and re-invested to build more infrastructures that increment the production of renewable Green-e energy.

The process of the Ricemilk Choco bars is somewhat different. The chocolate plant that is used to process the bars was built for sustainable chocolate production and is based on an energy system that is both cost effective and environmentally friendly. A process known as Heat Exchange where the heat is transferred to cold and vice-versa, with energy efficiency of up to 82%!

"We all have to do our part in every way we can. Chocolate doesn't have to induce guilt. Its resurgence in the limelight has inspired people to become more educated and ethically aware of the chocolate process from bean to bar. Chocolate production is becoming an important aspect of deciding which chocolates consumers choose to eat and it's important that consumers keep demanding superior quality products created with high ethical standards, keeping indulgence in balance with sustainability. As the awareness and standards for Organic and Fair Trade advance, we strongly believe that green production becomes the next phase in our industry," says Terra Nostra's Founder & President Karlo Flores.

Every initiative, every hand, and morsel of chocolate counts in this journey for global sustainability.