OUR CLAIMS

ETHICS

OCHO is committed to ethical and sustainable practices from bean to bar.

OCHO'S MISSION

Our chocolates are minimally processed to perfection with minimal ingredients to maximise the cocoa beans taste. Grown in the pacific and crafted in Dunedin, OCHO really does have pure chocolate. All our bars are made with beans from a specific farm or farmer cooperative, but we still call ourselves bean to bar rather than farm to bar.

At OCHO we like to keep our sources as transparent and traceable as we can. One thing we certainly don’t do is blend beans across countries because what we love most about our beans is that the taste changes so much depending on where the beans come from.

At face value, single-origin may be a marketing tool for some companies and perhaps a flavour guide to consumers, but it's true essence is as a principle connecting the people who grow the beans and the makers who craft the chocolate. It’s a way of keeping the process honest by ensuring people and place are central every step of the way. At the end of the day, we can only take half of the credit for the flavour of our award-winning chocolate - the rest belongs to the people, the trees, and the soil of the Pacific Islands, proudly stamped on the back of every OCHO chocolate bar. 

GROWERS

The growers are a crucial part of OCHO. We are supporting local economy in the Pacific, directly improving the lives of our partner growers and processors.

What we do for growers

  • Paying the growers as much as possible, 50% more than competition
  • Contributing to the local pacific islands economy 
  • Helping to improve quality of life with growers.

Most of the village is involved, from picking and opening the pods to running the fermentation and drying process. When the beans are ready to be moved there are no forklifts; strong young men carrying the 64 kg sacks on their shoulders and the local bus might be waved down to transport sacks into the depot.

As a business, it would be easy to classify cacao as a raw material and take no interest in where it comes from or the farmers who grow it. But the price paid for cacao beans should not be a decision based on margins, it should be a choice to ensure that the growers get a fair reward for their work.

PLANET

OCHO is minimising its carbon footprint. This is being achieved by purchasing local ingredients that have been ethically sourced, making changes to adapt when knowledge is brought to OCHO about potential damage to the planet.

What we do for the planet

  • Sourcing compostable packaging 
  • Buying from local suppliers in Dunedin where possible, if that isn’t achievable then suppliers from New Zealand
  • Sourcing the beans from as close to New Zealand as possible, boosting the Pacific Islands economy, while also reducing as much carbon footprint as possible.
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MAKERS

OCHO truly appreciates the work that its employees do and understands that they are
entitled to be paid a living wage, and alongside being paid a living wage, the workers are also in an inclusive and rewarding work environment and can have a balanced work/life schedule. 

OCHO operates with a living wage plus to ensure staff retention, sustainability of the longevity of the workplace while promoting increased productivity and higher quality of worker output.

CUSTOMERS

For the customers, we want them to enjoy great tasting chocolate that is innovative, value for money and using minimal ingredients for ultimate flavour, some chocolate only having two ingredients.

Simple, minimally processed chocolate with a clean label that has a labour of love behind it. Through our process we allow the true flavour of chocolate to come out.

INVESTORS

The shareholders have been a massive part of OCHO’s story and the financial and
social returns lead to investor pride; all processes conform to a high social and environmental standard, and a financial return on investment.

With over 3,700 shareholders OCHO is able to provide a good return on investment to its shareholders. OCHO has a strong relationship with its shareholders and enables them to be recognised as they are an integral part of the business. With over 3,700 shareholders OCHO has over 3,700 brand advocates backing us. This setup strengthens the relationship with our OCHO community within New Zealand.