Around the world, consumers are demanding more transparency in the foods they buy. Coffee has it. Honey has it. Tea has it. Even specialty grains and fruits now include detailed traceability and ecological documentation.

But cacao one of the most sacred and historically significant plants in the world has been left behind. Most cacao used in modern chocolate passes through anonymous global supply chains, with no visibility into farming methods, environmental impact, labor conditions, or cultural origins.

At Maya Moon Cacao, we believe this must change.
And that change begins with The Cacao Journey our Indigenous-led traceability model that honors the land, the people, and the ancient lineage of kakaw.

This is more than a supply chain. It is a commitment to sustainability, transparency, ecological responsibility, and fair trade rooted in ancestral knowledge.

 

Why Traceability Matters in Today’s Global Market

Traceability is a growing global standard. In coffee, it protects farmers, ecosystems, and international trade relationships. In honey and specialty agriculture, it prevents fraud and environmental damage. In tea, it ensures purity, labor ethics, and forest conservation.

Traceability answers critical questions:

• Where was this product grown?
• Who produced it?
• How was the land cared for?
• Were chemicals used?
• Are farmers paid fairly?
• Is the process transparent, ethical, and environmentally responsible?

Without traceability, products become disconnected from their origins and so do the people who consume them. Exploitation increases. Deforestation expands. Communities lose autonomy. The Earth absorbs the consequences.

Ceremonial cacao deserves better.
And that is why Maya Moon Cacao is establishing a new global reference point for cacao traceability rooted in Indigenous traditions.

The Cacao Journey: A Transparent Path From Seed to Ceremony

The Cacao Journey is our framework for complete visibility, from the forest to your cup. It integrates ancestral practices, modern sustainability standards, and Certified Ceremonial Cacao® requirements to protect people, land, and tradition.

Here is how it works:

1. Origin & Agriculture: Grown by Q’eqchi’ Families in Cahabón

Our cacao begins in the highland forests of Cahabón, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, where 195 Q’eqchi’ farming families cultivate cacao in biodiverse agroforestry systems.

This stage includes:
• shade-grown cacao
• regenerative agriculture
• zero chemical pesticides or fertilizers
• protection of native trees and biodiversity
• soil regeneration practices

Each family and each plot is known the first essential step of true traceability.

 

2. Harvest & Fermentation: Natural, Respectful, and Documented

After harvest, cacao seeds are fermented in wooden crates, never plastic, ensuring natural microbial activity aligned with ancestral techniques.

This method also aligns with sustainability standards seen in coffee certifications like Rainforest Alliance and Specialty Q-Grade Coffee.

Fermentation data such as days, temperature, and batch identification is documented to ensure consistency, quality, and transparency.

 

3. Sun-Drying: Zero-Energy, Ecologically Responsible

Once fermented, the beans dry under the sun, preserving aroma and ceremonial characteristics.
This step minimizes energy use, reduces carbon emissions, and maintains the integrity of the cacao butter and theobromine.

Drying logs, batch numbers, and handling practices all become part of the traceability record.

4. Women-Led Processing in San Marcos La Laguna

In San Marcos La Laguna, Indigenous Kaqchikel women roast, peel, and grind the cacao using a blend of ancestral techniques and sustainable modern tools. Each batch is processed with intention and prayer an essential element of ceremonial cacao.

Two roasting methods exist:
• Fire-roasted: honoring tradition with open flame and stone
• Oven-roasted: ensuring consistent quality and traceable control

Every batch is kept in origin a requirement of Certified Ceremonial Cacao®, ensuring value remains in the community rather than being extracted abroad.

This stage protects:
• Indigenous labor
• female economic empowerment
• cultural preservation
• ethical pricing
• ecological responsibility

And most importantly: the integrity of the plant.

 

5. Transparency in Price, Labor & Ethics

Unlike industrial cacao guided by the volatile global cocoa market Maya Moon Cacao pays producers directly at prices they set themselves.

Our traceability model ensures:
• no forced labor
• fair pay determined by the community
• short supply chains
• minimized carbon footprint
• no middlemen adding value without contributing labor

This mirrors the ethical standards of direct-trade coffee, but adapted to the cultural and spiritual reality of cacao.

 

 

6. Certified Ceremonial Cacao® and the Global Future of Accountability

Maya Moon Cacao is proud to be the Founding Licensee of Certified Ceremonial Cacao® the world’s first certification created to protect authentic ceremonial cacao.

This certification reinforces the traceability system by ensuring:
• Indigenous participation at every stage
• origin-grown cacao (no blends)
• no synthetic chemicals
• sun-drying
• in-country roasting and grinding
• transparent labeling (method, collective, origin)
• 100% pure cacao (never defatted or alkalized)

This is how cacao moves into the future:
with integrity, respect, and accountability.

 

Cacao Traceability as a Model for Sustainable Development

As global agriculture faces threats from deforestation, climate change, and exploitation, traceability becomes more than a tool it becomes a path forward.

A future built on traceability protects:

1. Nature

• biodiversity
• soil health
• forest ecosystems
• climate-resilient agriculture

2. People

• fair labor
• Indigenous leadership
• female empowerment
• community autonomy

3. Global Trade

• ethical pricing
• consumer transparency
• responsible sourcing
• long-term sustainability

Cacao can no longer be separated from the people and land that sustain it.
Traceability closes that gap.

 

Why This Matters for You

When you choose ceremonial cacao with traceability, you choose:
• truth over marketing
• sustainability over extraction
• cultural respect over commercialization
• fair trade over exploitation
• connection over consumption

You taste not only cacao 
but the land, the story, the hands, the intention, and the ancestors.

Every cup becomes a ceremony of gratitude.

 

Join the Cacao Journey

Maya Moon Cacao Journey is setting a new global standard for ethical cacao production, traceability, and Indigenous-led sustainability.

If you want to experience cacao that honors the Earth, uplifts communities, and preserves the sacred lineage of kakaw:

Taste the difference.
Honor the origin.
 Drink with intention.

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