1. Cacao Sourcing Is Complex – We Make It Work for You

Bringing fine cacao into Europe is no small task. Behind every bag that reaches a chocolate maker lies a web of formalities -from customs clearance and import formalities to health and phytosanitary inspections, organic certification, food safety compliance, and heavy metals and residue testing. And that’s just the start. Add EU labelling requirements, strict traceability protocols, evolving legislation like the EUDR, and the operational hurdles of international logistics, and it becomes clear: importing cacao is a complex process demanding precision and expertise.

Each of these steps requires specialised knowledge, careful planning, and coordination. A small misstep can cause delays, disrupt schedules, or even block shipments entirely. That’s where Silva Cacao comes in. We handle all of this for you. From paperwork to ensuring your cacao is stored in optimal conditions, we make sure everything is in place, so you don’t have to become a logistics expert. You get cacao that is custom cleared, quality-checked, and ready to use -without the regulatory headache.

Importing cacao is about far more than simply moving beans across borders. It’s a careful balancing act of meeting strict European standards, ensuring full regulatory compliance, maintaining exceptional quality, and preserving the unique identity of the cacao every step of the way. At Silva Cacao, we manage these complexities -so you can stay focused on what makes you truly special: transforming cacao into remarkable chocolate.

2. Beyond Inventory: Sourcing with Intention and Identity

For us, sourcing cacao goes far beyond imports and logistics -it’s rooted in purpose and identity. Every cacao we bring in is the result of long-term relationships with farmers and local communities, built on trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to quality. We’re closely engaged in post-harvest processes such as fermentation and quality refinement, ensuring every cacao bean reaches you with its full flavour potential.

By the time that cacao arrives at your doorstep, it’s not just traceable -it carries the story of everyone who helped shape it. While traditional importers focus on transactions, we deliver cacao that reflects the care, integrity, and relationships behind every bean.

Whether it’s overcoming challenges like hurricanes, poor harvests, or navigating complex heavy metal testing and evolving EUDR regulations, we stand by our partners to ensure continuity and consistency. This commitment to integrity and purpose means that when you choose Silva Cacao, you’re not just receiving cacao -you’re receiving the result of meaningful relationships, shared expertise, and genuine care.

3. From Volatility to Stability – Reliable Supply You Can Count On

The cacao supply chain is inherently unpredictable -shaped by erratic weather, natural disasters, geopolitical instability, and, more recently, the volatility driven by paper trading and intense market speculation. Droughts, civil unrest, and shipping disruptions can all affect harvests, quality, and timelines. At Silva Cacao, we’re prepared to navigate this uncertainty.

We actively manage these risks by maintaining buffer stocks in Europe, closely monitoring harvest cycles, and planning shipments well in advance. While certain disruptions -like Houthi rebel attacks, sudden port closures, or dramatic price surges -remain outside of anyone’s control, we work continuously to mitigate their impact. Together with our partners on the ground, we adapt sourcing strategies to keep your supply steady.

To support your planning, we’ve developed the Silva Cacao Calendar -a tool that maps out harvest cycles, shipping windows, and crop profiles. It helps you secure high-quality cacao year-round, manage volume and price expectations, and bring more stability to your sourcing -even in a volatile market.

4. Flexible Access – Without the Full Container Commitment

What you get: the flexibility to test, innovate, and evolve -without compromising on quality or identity.

Our importing model is designed to foster continuity for chocolate makers and farmers alike. Through long-term relationships and steady volumes, we help ensure a stable, reliable cacao supply while supporting mutual growth in the cacao ecosystem. With Silva Cacao, you get the stability and flexibility you need to keep crafting great chocolate, without the burden of overcommitting to large shipments.

At Silva Cacao, we understand that specialty cacao is about flexibility and experimentation. Independent importing often requires committing to large order volumes, which can be a barrier for smaller chocolate makers. That’s why we offer smaller, flexible lot sizes of high-quality, origin-specific cacao stored in Europe.

Whether you’re testing new origins or scaling up gradually, you don’t need to commit to full-container orders or deal with excess inventory. You can innovate and create with just the right amount of cacao, when you need it.

This flexibility doesn’t come at the cost of quality or identity. Our model allows for both continuity and innovation -ensuring steady cacao supply while giving you the freedom to experiment and grow.

5. We Know the Beans – and the People Behind Them

At Silva Cacao, we go beyond importing cacao -we’re involved in every step of the journey. From visiting farms and setting post-harvesting protocols to conducting lab tests, selecting micro-lots, and managing export and import documentation, we ensure that every detail is carefully managed. As both sourcer and importer, we reduce the unknowns and provide full transparency, giving you clear insight into the origin and journey of your cacao.

You won’t just know what’s in the bag; you’ll understand its entire story. From genetic selection and post-harvest processes to the possibility of reserving the next harvest, we’re here to answer any questions, ensuring complete transparency throughout.

What you receive: the right cacao at the right time, with transparency you can trust, peace of mind you can rely on, and a committed partner who’s actively involved in every step of the cacao journey -from origin to arrival.

Each cacao project we support has its own unique story. Take our Guatemala project, for instance. What started in 2018 as a promising origin evolved into a four-year journey of trust, setbacks, and soil challenges. In the end, we successfully exported exceptional lots from Finca Ana Maria and Finca Paso Cocodrilo in late 2022. This wouldn’t have been possible without the belief and support of roasters, chocolatiers, and cacao enthusiasts who helped bring the vision to life.

When you choose cacao with a purpose, you’re supporting these long-term projects. You create stability for farmers, provide room for innovation, and drive positive change in the industry. By choosing consciously, you’re helping shape a better cacao ecosystem.

At Silva, we’re dedicated to the people behind the beans and the quality standards that ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and deliver premium cacao. Whether it’s managing cadmium compliance, securing organic certifications, or meeting food safety standards, we take care of it all. What you get is cacao that’s not only legally compliant but also crafted for your next exceptional creation.

6. Making and Telling Stories That Stick

Today’s chocolate aficionados expect more than just great taste -they want to understand the story behind the chocolate: where the cacao comes from, how it’s produced, and what it supports. But telling that story authentically requires more than surface-level marketing; it calls for genuine relationships, rich details, and a deep connection to origin.

That’s where Silva Cacao comes in. We don’t just source and import beans -we help you craft a narrative rooted in truth and meaning. We provide insights from origin, fermentation notes, sensory profiles, visual materials, and whenever possible, direct introductions to the farmers behind the beans.

This story isn’t one-sided. Chocolate lovers aren’t only captivated by the farmers and the origins -they’re equally curious about you, the makers. They want to know how you work with the beans, what inspires your craft, and how the cacao transforms into something extraordinary in your hands.

And the interest flows both ways. Our local heroes at origin -the dedicated farmers, the post-harvest maestros, and everyone involved in bringing out the best in the beans, are just as eager to see how their cacao comes to life in your creations. They care deeply about how their beans are used, how they’re represented, and how their work is carried forward through your chocolate.

By working with us, you gain more than access to cacao -you gain the tools, context, and connections to tell a story that resonates with today’s conscious consumers. We’re with you every step of the way, from bean to port, from plan to pallet -committed ethically, ecologically, and flavourfully.

So next time you choose cacao, don’t just ask where it’s from. Ask how it got there -and who helped make every step matter. If the answer is Silva Cacao, you’re choosing a partner as invested in your story as you are in theirs.

7. Making it Fly for the Future: Flavour, Forests & Farmers

At Silva Cacao, our commitment goes beyond delivering exceptional beans. We’re here to help shape a future where cacao works -sustainably and meaningfully, for flavour, for forests, and for the farming communities behind it all.

We support you in finding the right cacao fit, building momentum around new origins, and ensuring continuity as demand evolves. Sourcing through Silva Cacao means more than buying beans -it’s a long-term investment in origin, innovation, and future collaboration.

You’re not just receiving cacao; you’re co-creating flavour, telling origin-driven stories, and contributing to a more resilient, regenerative cacao industry.

8. Sharing Passion & Building Purpose – Together

At Silva Cacao, supplying great cacao isn’t just about sourcing, importing, or logistics -it’s about building value-driven partnerships rooted in purpose, shared passion, and a deep respect for everyone along the cacao value chain -from the hands that harvest to the hands that craft.

We don’t just move beans. We help shape value chains where transparency, traceability, and sustainability are the starting point. Every shipment reflects the care, intention, and collaboration that go into sourcing cacao with integrity-cacao you can trust and be proud to work with.

And here’s where it comes alive: the more you share with us -your flavour vision, quality goals, volume needs, and long-term plans -the better we can align with our origin partners and tailor our support to fit your craft. When we’re on the same page, we raise the bar together -building a supply chain that’s not only solid, but smart, resilient, and ready to grow.

Partnering with Silva Cacao means more than reliable and timely quality cacao deliveries. It means teaming up with a sourcing partner who understands your drive and shares your standards -and is just as passionate about flavour, quality, and long-term impact as you are.

Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just smart supply -it’s sourcing with soul. And teaming up with Silva Cacao? That’s a smart move -and then some…

NOTES, KUDO’S, CREDITS & INSPO