Since 2006, the chocolate factory is mainly supplied with fair trade chocolate, cocoa, sugar cane and coconut flower sugar according to the Max Havelaar standard.
Since 2015, the chocolate factory has developed a new activity : the roasting of cocoa beans. This know-how allows the artisans of Saveurs & Nature to produce chocolates by mastering their quality from the bean to the bar. It was also an opportunity to create direct links with cocoa farmers from all over the world. Working directly with producers is in line with our vision of fair trade, as it allows us to create close relationships with cocoa farmers, to witness their daily work and to truly value it. We work together at the different stages (harvesting, drying, fermentation) of the cocoa beans to guarantee a high-quality chocolate but also directly measure and limit our common impact on the environment.
* Les Chocolats de Pauline, a brand of Saveurs & Nature
Since 2015, we have been working with the Bejofo plantation located in the Sambirano Valley in Madagascar for our cocoa beans supply. Thanks to this partnership and the experience of cocoa farmers we have learned how to work with cocoa beans and develop our direct supplying. This experience has encouraged us to build other similar and even more ambitious projects...
In May 2016, Jean-Michel Mortreau met the owner of this plantation and proposed a partnership contract over several years, which includes a bonus for organic farming and another one for the quality of the beans. We went further by helping the plantation to equip itself with a drying tunnel, a fermentation shed and solar panels to enhance the value of the beans and allow them to develop all their aromas.
In 2019, Saveurs & Nature has decided to go further in the fair partnership approach by helping the village of Bandoum. First, the project purpose is to help people to develop their crops in organic agriculture, but also to develop a sustainable farming approach by carrying out agroforestry plantations. Saveurs & Nature finances the services of 2 agricultural engineers for 3 years, to help cocoa farmers converting their plantations to organic agriculture and cultivate cocoa trees according to the principles of agroforestry.
It is thanks to Euphrasie from the Ekani Doum association, which helps villages in Cameroon to develop, that we decided to help the village of Bandoum. This association helps us to fight against child labor in the plantations by offering them the possibility to go to school. Therefore, in 2020, we are financing the expansion of the village school and the salary of two teachers for a whole year.
We are also in partnership with the AFDDYD, (Association of Dynamic Women for Sustainable Development) to encourage women’s independence. All our financial help is contracted and paid to these associations which redistribute it according to the projects.