Cups of cocoa

fuseproject's Talamanca Cocoa project raises awareness about the positive aspects of organic cocoa farming in Costa Rica.

After spending time with the Bribri women in Costa Rica, observing and experiencing their process of making cocoa and chocolate, fuseproject developed a product ecosystem promoting this product resulting from organic farming.

Working with the Nature Conservancy and the Costa Rica Talamanca Cocoa Growers fuseproject developed the Talamanca Cocoa packaging system.

The packaging designed by fuseproject comprises a hessian bag and a little grater that hooks onto the side of a mug for making hot cocoa. This was an effort by fuseproject to showcase the ground cocoa patties that the Bribri women are producing, while making the process of enjoying the hot cocoa ceremonial. The tool on the Talamanca Cocoa is custom built to grate the cocoa and then stir the hot beverage.

fuseproject’s product ecosystem includes a logo, resalable and organic packaging, and an accessory tool to break down the hard cocoa patties to brew a hot drink.

The cocoa and chocolate the Bribri women produce is all organic with the plants growing in their natural ecosystem. fuseproject explains: “Unlike monoculture farming, their cocoa plants grow in the natural ecosystem, surrounded within rich biodiversity, and conserve the nature and land they inhabit… As their cocoa farms expand, so does the conservation of native rainforest.”

The Talamanca Cocoa project hopes to raise awareness about the positive aspects of organic cocoa production, ultimately telling a story of how it saves rainforests.

This project can be seen at the Design for a Living World exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago until 13 November 2011.

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