The work that we do to support our indigenous partners across Ecuador is incredibly important to all of us at Rio Nuevo. Informing every decision that we make, our concern for the welfare of these communities has underpinned our company’s mission and values since day one.
In order for us to be the best possible partners to our friends in Ecuador, it’s incredibly important for us to have as comprehensive an understanding as possible of their working conditions, day-to-day operations, regional cultures and challenges. We want to learn as much about the people that plant, raise and process the cocoa that makes the work that we do possible, and continue to forge close, supportive relationships across some of Ecuador’s remotest and historically deprived regions.
Setting off over the course of the next couple of days, our founders, Sara and Andres will spend the upcoming weeks travelling across Ecuador in order to learn more about the communities that we’ve been working with over the last couple of years. Joined by Andy Jamerson from Berlin’s Coffee Circle, and Cecile Bouchet, a London-based socio-economic development advocate, we want to use this opportunity to work with old and new friends alike to help improve the livelihoods of the chocolate industry’s most vulnerable stakeholders.
Taking Sara, Andres, Andy and Cecile across some of Ecuador’s most remote and beautiful chocolate producing regions, this journey will provide us with an invaluable opportunity to learn more about the ways in which chocolate can be harnessed as a tool to enact real, positive and lasting change. Making their way through Ecuador’s Chocó Cloud forest before crossing the Andes Mountains to enter some of the remotest depths of the Oriente Rainforest, our friends and colleagues’ journey will help all of us at Rio Nuevo to learn more about the experiences, regional cultures and needs of the people and communities that we’ve been working so hard to support.
At Rio Nuevo, we strongly believe in the power of relationships. An opportunity to form new friendships, and strengthen existing ones, this journey is a chance of a lifetime for us to discover new ways to further our mission to combat rural poverty and exploitation across some of Ecuador’s most historically neglected regions.
We’ve been incredibly excited about this expedition for a long time. We can’t wait to share more details with you over the coming days and weeks!