The chocolate makers who buy from Uncommon Cacao know that they are participating in an ethical, transparent supply chain when they purchase our beans. Through our radically transparent price reporting, in-depth stories, and data we share on our website about all of the origins with whom we partner, it is easy for a chocolate maker to find out comprehensive information about the supply chain they are working with to produce their great chocolate.
Unfortunately, it’s a lot harder for average consumers to know how impactful these chocolate brands are. Due to the amount of social and environmental “greenwashing” in the chocolate industry, it’s easier to select a bar that has certifications or social and environmental branding that is appealing and obvious. It can be difficult to differentiate brands that source high quality cacao through a transparent and impactful supply chain from those that certify just for the sake of the stamp.
We want to make sure that consumers understand that the Uncommon Cacao customer is paying much higher prices for the high quality cacao that they buy and is having a much deeper impact at origin as a result. It is time for bean-to-bar makers to have a competitive ethical edge against their mass-market counterparts.
This weekend at the Northwest Chocolate Festival, Uncommon Cacao is launching origin-specific QR codes for makers to use on packaging, websites, and other consumer-facing strategies to share their stories and data of supply chain impact.
Each QR code is easily scannable by any smartphone without the need of a unique app. Just open the camera, point it at the QR code, and a link will immediately pop up that takes you to the origin page of the beans on the Uncommon Cacao website.
Consumers can now easily access stories and data about the supply chains used by craft chocolate makers, including:
-
Transparent Trade price data from farmgate to chocolate factory
-
Producer and cacao photos
-
Detailed narrative about the origin operation
-
Post-harvest processing details
-
Number of registered farmers and women farmers
-
Average annual farmer revenue
-
Environmental data including intercropping, rainfall, altitude, and farm size
-
Farmer resources offered by the origin operation
-
Flavor notes and awards for quality
-
And more!
While the QR codes are being “soft-launched” at NW Chocolate Fest for use at makers’ booths, all of our customers will now have access to digital files of the QR codes that can be used for any and all purposes to captivate consumer attention. Here are some ideas on how to use the codes: on packaging of chocolate products (front or back!), on display boxes of chocolates at retail locations, printed up on the walls of factories and stores, on websites, sandwich boards and even temporary tattoos.
The purpose of the QR codes is for you as chocolate makers to build trust and loyalty with chocolate lovers who want to feel great about the supply chain behind the chocolate they love. Traditional certifications offer a static stamp of approval that offers no unique details about the specific supply chain involved in the product, commoditizing all ethically sourced cocoa and enforcing the dangerous idea that all cocoa is created and treated equally.
Craft chocolate makers already know that the unique characteristics of the cacao itself and special qualities of the origin operation make their chocolate even more valuable. We are thrilled to offer you the opportunity to share this important information and meaningful connection to the origin of your cacao with your consumers.
