ECOSHIFT THAILAND
IMPROVING THE THAI COCOA MARKET
The seeds of ECOSHIFT germinated and grew alongside the cacao trees Linda planted on Koh Phayam in 2018/19. But the road from bean to bar is full of bumps and turns.
Successfully growing and harvesting cacao pods is hard enough. Learning to consistently ferment and dry requires specialized knowledge to yield quality beans. The final step, selling, was uncharted waters.
Unable to visit her farm, Linda spent the COVID years designing solutions to help cacao farmers grow, process and sell. It needed to be a low-cost, effective and sustainable alternative that included as many smallholder farmers as possible to achieve volume and – the essential ingredient – committed buyers.
Linda, a newbie to the cacao sector, contacted Thai chocolate makers, industry experts, soil specialists, tech providers and sustainability organizations to develop a model. With a clear vision and mission and the support of prominent professionals, ECOSHIFT Thailand was born.
ECOSHIFT is a socially and environmentally responsible company based in Thailand that aims to empower smallholder cocoa farmers. We provide sustainably produced cocoa beans to chocolate makers with end-to-end traceability, verifying good practices and expert advisors.
Our mission is to improve fair living wages for cocoa farmers in Thailand by helping increase their yields, securing fair prices and building a sustainable supply chain. Committing to sustainability, ethical sourcing, and community development aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We focus on the following goals:
1
Increase average yields to equal or exceed international averages
Education and training for better soil and water management and improve post-harvest drying and fermentation processes to reduce nonviable products.
2
Secure better prices for cacao farmers with a preferred buyers program
Build the country’s largest cacao collective and secure better pricing via our preferred buyers' program.
3
Traceable and verifiable supply chain
Chocolate makers and exporters benefit from a verified supply chain that complies with EUDR and other regulations via our tech stack. Consumers eager to know the source of their chocolate can verify ECOSHIFT products.
OUR GROWING ORGANIZATION
ECOSHIFT has formed strategic partnerships with leading chocolate makers in Thailand who are committed to improving the local market by supporting smallholder farmers with fair pricing and long-term contracts.
We have support from a renowned Thai University, allowing exclusive access to over 1,000 cacao farmers and critical soil data in Northern Thailand. We will collaborate to grow their presence in the South.
A partnership with a prominent sustainability organization outside the cacao industry proves the ECOSHIFT model can benefit other smallholder farmers.
Our advisory panel includes experts in cacao, soil management, and fermentation techniques. They will work exclusively with ECOSHIFT Thailand to improve the cacao industry.
RE-THINK SUSTAINABILITY
ECOSHIFT gives smallholder farmers the tools to improve yields, track the supply chain and comply with regulations like EUDR. Our overall target is to build the most impactful cooperative of cacao growers and other sustainable smallholder farmers in Thailand.
Join ECOSHIFT and support a sustainable future for smallholder farmers in Thailand!