Pacha de Cacao
- Type
- Food & Ingredient Manufacturer
- Location
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Industries
- Food ingredients & products, Direct to consumer, Waste efficiency, Sustainable packaging & plastic alternatives, Shortening supply chain
- Domains
- Ingredients, Kokos, Processed food products, Beverages, Fruit, Plant based primary products, Flavours, Beans
- Technologies
- Extraction, Processing, Food-waste technology, Circular & resource technologies
About Pacha de Cacao
Pacha de Cacao is a Dutch beverage company built around cacao fruit pulp rather than cacao beans. It produces a 100% natural cacao juice made from fresh cacao pulp sourced from farmers in Ecuador, then processed and bottled in the Netherlands for sale in Europe and beyond.
The company positions itself as a way to rediscover an overlooked part of the cacao fruit and turn it into a refreshing drink with a slow, natural boost of energy. Its story is rooted in founder Marika van Santvoort’s background as a cacao expert and sustainability advisor, and in the idea of creating value for farmers, consumers, and the environment beyond traditional chocolate production.
Core Values
- Natural nutrition: Pacha emphasizes that its juice is 100% natural, made from pulp and water, with no concentrate, additives, or added sugar.
- Farmer support: The company highlights paying for cacao pulp as an extra income stream for farmers, especially smallholders who are often underpaid in the cacao supply chain.
- Waste reduction: By using cacao pulp that would otherwise go to waste, Pacha presents its model as a way to reduce food waste in cacao production.
- Sustainability and regeneration: The brand links its mission to a healthier cacao chain and to broader environmental goals, including protecting nature and supporting more sustainable supply chains.
Unique Aspects
- Built on cacao pulp, not beans: Pacha’s core differentiator is that it turns the sweet pulp around the cacao beans into a beverage, rather than focusing on the beans used for chocolate.
- Ecuadorian sourcing with Dutch bottling: The cacao fruit is ethically sourced from farmers in Ecuador, partially processed there, and bottled in the Netherlands.
- Founder-led cacao expertise: The company was founded by Marika van Santvoort, who has spent her career working on sustainability in the cacao and chocolate sector.
- Mission to expand farmer impact: The company says it aims to grow its farmer network beyond Ecuador and work with smallholder farmers in other regions and countries, with a stated goal of reaching 10,000 farmers in South America by 2027.
- European retail presence: The store locator shows availability through online grocery and retail channels including Crisp in the Netherlands and Cocoa Runners and Nearynogs in the United Kingdom.