Cacao and heavy metals: understanding the origins of cadmium, the analysis results for our Raíces Maya ceremonial-grade cacao, and the importance of moderation.

From Linnaeus to ancient gods, the name Theobroma cacao reveals a universe: Mesoamerican myth, colonial distortion and the return of its sacred essence. To explore this name is to enter the living memory of an ancestral master plant.

Switzerland holds a unique place in the cacao world. From industrial giants to historic chocolate houses and emerging bean-to-bar or tree-to-block initiatives, the country mirrors the tensions and transformations shaping today’s global cacao landscape. Understanding these actors reveals how Switzerland continues to influence cacao dynamics through standardisation, craftsmanship and a growing demand for transparency.

Discover the differences between the industrial model, the bean-to-bar movement and the tree-to-block approach—three visions of cacao that reveal different ways of creating value, transforming the bean and preserving its connection to its place of origin.

Cacao was not born in open fields, but in the forest. As an understory tree, it lives in shade, in close relationship with living soils, protective trees and the many forms of life around it. Understanding its original habitat already allows us to sense what cacao has to offer. Its quality arises from these living relationships, and its fruit invites deeper connection — with ourselves, with others and with the world.

Ceremonial cacao comes from whole beans hand-harvested, fermented in banana leaves, sun-dried, and never industrially processed. The rare and gentle Criollo variety creates a pure, rich drink full of active compounds that support presence, clarity, and well-being. A cacao that preserves its essence and the bond with those who cultivate it.

The global cacao system, shaped by colonial structures, is beginning to crack. While profits concentrate at the top, grassroots communities and autonomous farmer collectives are cultivating a new paradigm — ethical, regenerative, rooted in land and sovereignty. Where the Earth leads, a different world begins to take root.

Dans cet entretien avec Sakara, Dominique Ziegler explore l’histoire cachée du cacao, entre mémoire coloniale, conscience et transformation. Il met aussi en lumière le rôle, longtemps occulté, de la Suisse - et de certaines familles helvétiques - dans les économies et les affaires coloniales liées au cacao, révélant ce que le théâtre peut encore rendre visible.

Journée Internationale de Protection de l’Amazonie, berceau du Cacao