Scroll through photos to see how La Siembra Co-operative's Camino line of organic and fair trade chocolate bars are produced.
A cocoa farm is shown in Northern Peru. La Siembra sources the cocoa for its Camino line of chocolate bars from seven co-ops in Peru, the Dominican Republic and Panama; the sugar is sourced from co-ops in Peru and Paraguay and the vanilla comes from co-ops in Madagascar.
A sign outside the Naranjillo cocoa processing plant, where La Siembra sources its cocoa, highlights that 5,000 farmers contribute to this Peruvian co-op.
A Peruvian farmer with the CEPICAFE Co-op holds recently picked cocoa pods (L). A Peruvian farmer with the CACVRA Co-op is shown among a group of cocoa trees (R). Both are co-ops in Peru from which La Siembra sources its cocoa.
Cocoa beans are shown during the process of fermentation.
During the processing phase, cocoa beans are fermented for six days, being moved from one box to another each day to rotate the beans.
After fermentation, cocoa beans are left out to dry.
Raw cocoa beans used in some of Camino’s 100-gram bars.
A small group of La Siembra employees visits the cocoa fields of the CEPICAFE Co-op, one of four co-ops in Peru that supply the cocoa used in the making of Camino bars.
A Peruvian producer is shown with some cocoa beans that are undergoing fermentation (L). The processed cocoa is sent to a chocolate manufacturing facility in Switzerland to create the finished bars, which are also packaged and boxed there. Here, almonds are mixed with dark chocolate ahead of the creation of Camino’s 100-gram bars. (R)
Processed cocoa is sent to a manufacturing facility in Switzerland to be turned into chocolate bars. Here, empty molds for the 100-gram chocolate bars are shown.
The empty molds move through the manufacturing facility’s line to be filled with the chocolate mix that will form Camino’s 100-gram bars.
The finished product comes off the manufacturing line.
Jennifer Williams, CEO of La Siembra Co-operative, poses for a photograph in Ottawa. La Siembra is the creator of the premium fair trade and organic Camino chocolate bar line, one of several fair trade and organic products that La Siembra produces.Dave Chan
Camino products on display at a retail store. Along with chocolate bars, the fair trade and organic Camino line also includes coffee, juice, baking products and hot chocolate. La Siembra sources raw materials for all of its Camino line of products from 18 co-ops in 10 different countries. Thousands of family farmers are members of these co-ops. .
Camino chocolate bars on a retail shelf.
Close-up of Camino's 100-gram bars. The bars are sold in more than 3,000 outlets across Canada, ranging from large grocery chains to specialty stores.
An arc of Camino's 100-gram chocolate bars.