Design for a living world 2

In Costa Rica, the Bribri women of Talamanca are growing organic cacao and making chocolate. Unlike monoculture farming, their cacao plants grow in the natural ecosystem, surrounded within a rich biodiversity, and conserve the nature and land they inhabit. As their cocoa farms expand, so does the conservation of native rainforest. The main product is ground cacao patties: the size of a hockey-puck and formed by hand, they are 100% cacao – no sugar added – and the only ingredient needed to make the wonderful hot cacao drink. Our task was to convert these patties into a marketable packaged product. We created an ecosystem that included a logo, resealable packaging (inspired by the burlap sacs used to store raw cacao beans made locally, natural and biodegradable, reusable, organic), and an accessory tool used to break-down the hardened patties and brew the hot cacao drink.