Our Social & Environmental Policies
“Save the planet…it’s the only one that has chocolate.”In line with conservation ethics and social responsibility, Sibú Chocolate aims to be a model for the industry by embracing sustainable business practices that benefit the communities and natural environments involved in bringing its product to the marketplace.
- Our Packaging:
Our boxes are made with recycled materials and encourage recycling. We avoid over packaging, using no plastic liners or materials that will add unnecessary volume to our product. After all, the best things come in small packages. - Practices on the Plantation:
The farm we work with to source our chocolate is certified with the New York-based not-for-profit organization Rainforest Alliance. For more details about this certification, visit: www.rainforest-alliance.org - Carbon Offsetting:
Sibú Chocolate compensates for the carbon dioxide emissions produced in the delivery of our chocolates through the Climate Change Friendly Program, a Costa Rican initiative of the Tropical Science Center and Control Union. For more information on this program, visit: www.friendsoftsc.org - Locally Sourced Ingredients:
All of the ingredients used to make our confections are purchased in Costa Rica, benefiting local industry and the families that depend on them.
CHOCOLATE, MIND, BODY, SPIRIT
Considered a divine food and aphrodisiac by the Aztecs, Theobroma cacao, which literally means “food-of-the-gods”, features prominently in indigenous cosmology throughout Mesoamerica. At the time of the conquest local reverence for cacao is said to have completely puzzled the gold obsessed Columbus, who never understood all the fuss made over these bitter little beans.
Today, we know that the indigenous admiration for cacao was well founded, since it is one of the few foods in the world with chemical compounds that help us feel good. Chocolate contains Theobromine, a stimulant similar to caffeine that can lead to mental and physical relaxation. Eating chocolate also increases endorphin levels in the brain, which work to lessen pain and decreases stress. It releases a natural mood balancing chemical called serotonin, as well as a phenylethylamine, which causes changes in blood pressure and blood-sugar levels that lead to feelings of excitement and alertness…hence the reputation as an aphrodisiac.
Recent research shows that chocolate can also increase antioxidant levels in our blood, which help improve the function and flow of blood vessels, control inflammation, and protect our DNA from damage leading to cancer. Tests show that the antioxidant compounds in chocolate are more powerful than those found in green tea and red wine, depending on the chocolate’s cacao content. The more cacao, the more antioxidants chocolate contains.