Transparent Trade

We make unroasted dark chocolate from scratch, with traceable, high quality, and transparently traded single-origin cacao, crafted into something uncommonly delicious.

Asking Ourselves the Challenging Questions

Inside every Raaka bar we publish a report detailing our sourcing model. We call this model “Transparent Trade.” Each report shows the details of how we purchase cacao, who we buy it from, what we paid for it, and how that compares to the commodity market and fair trade prices.

As makers, our role is twofold: to work with cooperatives and grower-centered organizations that focus on cacao quality and pay higher prices to farmers for that quality; and second, to educate customers in a manner that is honest and forthright.

As eaters, our role is to ask ourselves challenging questions about consumption and fairness. This is what Transparent Trade is all about.

Transparent pricing

We publish the price we pay for cacao on the inside of every Raaka wrapper; true transparency.

Direct Purchasing

We purchase cacao directly from cooperatives and grower organizations that focus on quality, sustainability, field support, market access, and premium prices for farmers.

Price Stability

We always purchase cacao at stable, premium prices that are higher than commodity market and Fair Trade prices and protected from market fluctuations.

WHAT IS TRANSPARENT TRADE?

We started Raaka because we knew there was a better way to make chocolate: from scratch. We use traceable, high quality, single-origin, transparently sourced cacao to craft uncommonly delicious chocolate.

We believe the chocolate making process should value the community of growers, producers, and makers whose livelihoods depend on cacao. It takes an entire village of individuals stretching across cultures and continents to make every delicious bar. As chocolate makers, we are at the end of this supply chain closest to the customer. This allows us to tell some of the stories behind each bar we make.

Conventional Model
THE BETTER WAY
Our Model

Some of these stories are told through flavor: where the cacao came from, the conditions in which it was grown, and how it was processed into chocolate are all expressed through taste. But some of these stories aren’t fully expressed through flavor: the stories of the growers, the workers, the exporters, and the makers. It’s up to us to make sure our customers have access to those stories, too. This is what Transparent Trade is all about.

Uncommonly delicious chocolate crafted from single-origin, transparently sourced cacao.