Today we had the privilege of visiting Sibö Chocolate, and joining historian Julio Fernandez Amón as he discussed the history of chocolate, as well as shared with us the sustainable practices that Sibö engages in, in order to protect Costa Rica and the environment as much as possible. We were able to see a cacao bean sliced open, as well as taste the inside of the bean. It oddly enough tastes like a mango. After seeing the inside of the cacao firsthand, Julio talked us through the history of chocolate and the significance of each piece of Sibö chocolate that was placed in front of us to taste. There were 7 kinds, and they all tasted different from each other. They were rich in flavor and definitely different from the typical chocolate that is sold in the United States.

Chocolate rivals coffee in its complexity and diversity of products. However, when it comes to Costa Rica, the two products may have more in common than you think. Because coffee and chocolate are both predominantly produced and bought from Africa, Costa Rica focuses on standing out by being different. They emphasize the need for quality over quantity, and specialize in making their products unique for both the coffee and chocolate industries.

One of the biggest challenges and risks to the chocolate supply chain is climate change. Currently, Costa Ricans are highly concerned with climate change and the effect this has on the forests in Costa Rica. The extinction of species is happening at increasingly rapid rates. This is detrimental because we need natural resources in order to survive. If we are not taking care of our environment, we cannot expect it to take care of us back. It is common to think that one person alone can’t make much of a difference, but it is still important to care and to advocate for change because humans are constantly in need of medicine and remedies, and all of that is made from the same rainforests that are disappearing because of us. Aspirin, contraception pills, and herb remedies are just three examples of necessities that derive from nature. 

After this lovely discovery of how chocolate came to be, we headed over to Riverside for lunch and a quick chat with the owner about the restaurant. After learning about the farm-to-table concept, I was able to make a connection between the Costa Rican companies we have been exploring so far: Sibö, Britt, and Riverside. All three companies “put their money where their mouth is” (as historian Julio said in the charla) when it comes to sustainability practices. Britt, as I covered in another post, focuses on producing coffee in a manual way that is organic and safe for the environment. Sibö focuses on committing to the environment and elevating their efficiency and profitability simultaneously. Their most important factors are ecology, economy, and social and cultural responsibility. Just as an example, they practice sustainability by selling chocolate in packaging that is made of 95% cacao shells and 5% recycled paper. Lastly, Riverside gives back to the community and practices sustainability by cooking meals using produce straight from their gardens and decorating their restaurant with artwork and music created by local artists.