Dengo was created to offer delicious, healthy, and sustainable chocolate. Since day one we’ve been dedicated to building a fairer supply chain. The point is that none of our efforts can succeed if we ignore the protagonists: the farmers. So, we talked to each and every one of them to understand how our work could help theirs. That’s why we’re so concerned about paying fairly and creating a community of people that transform great cocoa into delicious chocolate for the world.

We are pleased to say: our cocoa is Brazilian! Full of happiness, “ginga”, samba, smiles, high energy, hard work and quality – yes, our cocoa has lots of quality. So much, that we don’t need to add any kind of artificial or natural flavorings.

It’s pure cacao, its pure Dengo. Dengo that comes from the forest, from the Cabruca.

Cocoa’s promising path to prosperity in southern Bahia was interrupted by a menacing plague. Spreading rapidly through the air, the fungus better known as witches’ broom (Moniliophthora Perniciosa) reduced Bahian cocoa production by 90% and caused the bankruptcy of almost 30 thousand farms. Almost overnight, many of the cacao trees planted there were left shabby and dry, resembling an old broom. Their leaves turned twisted and browned, the fruits failed to grow properly or rotted at the foot of the tree, their beans, now darkened, became inedible. Low productivity caused cocoa prices to drop, and unemployment in the region reached extraordinary levels. Somewhere around 250,000 rural workers were left with no means of livelihood.

Today things are far more stable, but the fact is that the arrival of witches’ broom has prevented regional production from recovering completely. In 2018, Bahia produced 122.5 thousand tons of cocoa beans – and continues to lead the country, with 48% of the total national production, closely followed by Pará (responsible for 45%). So, the task of living with witches’ broom, even 30 years after its initial appearance, remains a thorn in the side of those who produce it.

A farmer once told us: “I’m a cocoa grower by passion” and this is exactly what we have been working to hear. Thanks to our clear purpose and consistent efforts more than 150 farmers are benefiting, having been presented with a new opportunity to regain confidence as an individual grower through fair payment and suitable technical assistance. Believe it: living from cocoa cultivation is difficult! It requires lots of care and attention during the whole process. So what could be fairer than creating value and rewarding our farmers fairly?
How? By spreading and fostering high-quality agricultural practices and by paying more for high-quality cocoa and coffee beans.

Our cocoa comes from Cabruca. But what does that mean you may be asking? In summary, it’s a way of growing cocoa trees in the middle of the Atlantic Forest.

But there is far more to it than that: adding value to rural production, through organic management of agroforestry systems (cabrucas), diversifies the area of ​​operation and increases the sustainability of production. “Cabruca cocoa” contributes not only to the conservation of biodiversity in southern Bahia, but also to the health and well-being of its consumers. Cabruca cocoa is a symbol of Bahia: it preserves nature while actually tasting like a better world. Trust us – or just try it for yourself.