Today, we visited Sabo Chocolate to learn about the history of chocolate in Costa Rica. We learned that chocolate had only recently become an important commodity in Costa Rica since other crops were more profitable. Sabo Chocolate took a different approach, making high-quality chocolate in a sustainable way that doesn’t have a massive market but maintains its profit. The most interesting thing about Sabo was that the packages were made out of the shells of the chocolate bean (mostly), and the entire box was completely compostable. Also, the employees come from all over the world, which inspired some of their chocolate ideas, and I found this very interesting. Finally, the quality of the chocolate was the best I ever had, which checks out as Julio described how much care is taken from picking the cacao fruit to tempering the chocolate itself. This was my favorite speech/tour so far, and Julio truly knew so much and was very passionate about his work.

Later, we had lunch at Riverside, a unique restaurant where almost all of their food was farmed in the back of the restaurant and then used in their dishes in the kitchen. I’ve only ever seen this concept one other time, but never on this scale. They had a vast amount of plants, all of which were sustainable since they didn’t use pesticides. I remember them saying they put lemongrass before some crops to act as a natural pesticide. The attention to detail and natural sustainability at places such as these, Britt, and Sabo never stop amazing me. I think it is very important to know where your food comes from not only for your health but also to know that you are supporting the local community and can feel good about spending time, money, and resources on your local community, especially when you know that behind the curtains there is sustainable practices at play.

The similarities between coffee and chocolate are mainly due to their sustainable practices and attention to detail. Both crops come from larger fruits that are broken down into their beans, then roasted, and carefully crafted to create a delicious food. Also, the plantations here in Costa Rica emphasize using sustainable practices, lack of pesticides, and even compostable packaging. Nothing goes to waste in these plantations. The chocolate supply chain is in danger from climate change, affecting how chocolate grows. If chocolate cannot grow, harvesting and selling it will become more difficult, and prices will rise. Additionally, using pesticides negatively affects the environment, contributing to global warming. This shows how important sustainability is at the farming level and why it is stressed so much here in Costa Rica.