Theo Chocolate Organic Pili Chili Dark Chocolate Bar, 3 oz
Theo's first-ever chocolate bar made of Congolese cocoa - an intensely warming blend of cocoa, vanilla, and spicy peppers. Ben Affleck and the Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI) is partnering with Theo to launch a delicious new chocolate bar series that's helping Congolese farmers cultivate a brighter future. A portion of proceeds will be donated to ECI, with the potential to positively impact more than 20,000 people living in Eastern Congo. While the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is rich in natural and human resources, it has the lowest per-capita gross domestic product in the world. Violence, poverty, and disease have claimed the lives of over 5 million men, women, and children. And despite democratic elections and multiple peace agreements, the eastern region is still impacted by conflict, which has significantly diminished the availability of reliable, income-generating employment, as well as education and health care. The cocoa, vanilla and spicy peppers (pili pili) in this chocolate bar are all grown in Eastern Congo by dedicated organic farmers focused on quality and sustainability. We love the perfect blend of roasted cocoa notes with the intensely warming heat of Congolese pili pili. Theo and ECI recognized an opportunity to help the region emerge from crisis by joining forces with local farmers to cultivate cacao. This fast-growing, high-yield crop requires minimal re-planting, prevents deforestation, commands solid global prices, and is a major source of income for women (Theo). This partnership has also created extraordinary opportunities for the farmers as the cocoa crops are of no use to the militia since the beans need to be processed to create value, ensuring a sense of economic stability for the farmers, their families and the local community.