Beyond Good is an appropriate name for a company that produces the sweet deliciousness of chocolate as well as coveted vanilla. The “beyond” label serves a double purpose — it also applies to the company’s conservation efforts and sustainability practices.
The company’s mission is to provide quality products as close to the source as possible. Inasmuch, it set up shop in Madagascar, near to the notably best cocoa and vanilla in the world. In addition, the company established relationships with the farmers in the region to cut out the middlemen. This not only results in a farmer to factory direct transaction, but allows the organization to monitor treatment of the farmers and the products.
This is a business model Beyond Good is proud to be transparent about. For example, each bar of chocolate features a PR code that links the customer to information about the farmer who grew the cocoa. The website also provides profiles on the 93 farmers it partners with.
The company wants to influence change in the food industry through attention to forest health and environmental impact. It’s setting an example by developing a mixed agroforestry system to facilitate biodiversity and reduce deforestation.
Additionally, the cocoa forests provide habitat for five species of endangered lemurs, giving the animals safe harbor. Farmers use this technique to produce higher yields of cacao, but balance that with income from other crops. This diversification adds a layer of financial stability for the farmers.
At the same time, the natural environment is managed to grow food without stripping wildlife habitat. It shows that there can be balance between business and nature.
Beyond Good further upsets the assumption about corporate profits over environmental action. It installs “wildlife bridging structures and perches in the cocoa forests to be used as ecological links between habitat patches.”
Moreover, the company plans to open a second factory in the Uganda region soon. Beyond Good products can be ordered online at Amazon or found at your local natural foods store. You’ll find a variety of chocolate bars and melts, as well as vanilla beans and extract.
This chocolate is Beyond Good, it’s environmental [Inhabitat]