Introducing Floreo Belize

Under the shade the farmer starts marketing

Over Christmas we launched floreobelize.com, for chocolate lovers to buy our soil to soul chocolate in the US. We’re a tiny company working hard to establish a link between soil fertility, and what goes into your stomach as chocolate.

For centuries, cocoa has been treated as a commodity, and decades of low prices have meant that farmers have not been able to invest in soil fertility. Added to that, it is only in the last few years that scientists have been able to see how soil biology is one of the primary drivers of plant health, and then the nutrients in the food that we eat. It is complex stuff, but it underpins all of our food systems.

While many chocolate makers focus on fermentation, roasting and other downstream activities, we think flavor starts in the soil. And how plants are cultivated is just as important as genetics. Starving cattle with prizewinning genetics don’t make for good a good meal. It’s the same for cocoa.

We’re deep into a long journey to improving our soils and our agroforestal system, to improve our chocolate. And along the way, improve livelihoods of our 20 strong workforce in Belize.

But we’re not about to lecture you on soil science. This stuff tastes great. If you want to find out more, there’s plenty on our website (and in my previous Substack rants).

Thanks to a grant from the SheTrades Go and Grow Grant Facility from the Caribbean Development Bank, we have been able to set up our website, and over the next few months, launch our new Floreo Belize packaging.

Thanks for everyone else that has supported us along this journey, including patient friends and family, fellow farmers, our team mates and anybody who wondered what was going on behind that sign on the Southern Highway in Belize.

More to come.