RAUSCH GESCHÄFTSKUNDEN
RAUSCH GESCHÄFTSKUNDEN
SUSTAINABLE AND FAIR CHOCOLATE THROUGH DIRECT TRADE
WITH DIRECT TRADE, WE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
»Direct Trade« is our own quality seal that we have developed ourselves and means sustainable and fair direct sourcing of the fine flavour cocoa. We at Rausch always look for the most direct route to sustainable and fair chocolates. That means that we deliberately do without middlemen and closely and personally work together with the cocoa farmers long term.
RAUSCH GESCHÄFTSKUNDEN
FROM THE PLANT
TO THE CUSTOMER
We accompany the cocoa bean along its entire path, from the cocoa plant on the fine flavour cocoa plantation to direct sale of products to our customers. It’s the only way to produce sustainable and fair chocolate, to comply the primary goals for maintaining the fine flavour cocoa culture and to gurantee the transparency of the processes.
SUSTAINABLE AND FAIR
WE GO ONE STEP FURTHER
The requirements and guidelines for our fine flavour cocoa chocolates far exceed those of any other certification in existence. In order to completely live up to our aspirations of acting fairly and sustainably, we decided not to use seals such as ›Fairtrade‹ or ›Bio Seal‹.
Existing seals are no indication of quality, but simply document that defined norms have been adhered to. Each of these seals has a different speciality in connection with sustainably and fairly grown food, and this restricts to what extent they can be compared.
None of these seals fully represents our vision for the conditions for cultivation, processing of the ingredients and quality of the product. This is why we made the decision to initiate our own seal with clearly defined quality criteria as a benchmark for our actions embodied in Direct Trade and by comparing it to existing certifications.
* Two seals become one: The Rainforest Alliance and UTZ have merged. The new organisation will create a common global certification standard under the name Rainforest Alliance. Currently, both certificates can still be used.
OUR OWN QUALITY SEAL
This is how sustainable and fair is done: With the decision to develop the company’s own seal, Rausch ensures complete transparency for all of its stakeholders. By promoting a partnership based on trust, we know our Direct Trade partners in person and guarantee the cocoa farmers prices well over the global market average as well as quality control ensured from cultivation onwards. Because we avoid middlemen, this higher price directly benefits the cocoa farmers.
Sustainable and fair without taking any shortcuts
OUR VALUE CHAIN
An ingredient’s journey is frequently not transparent and untraceable through all the distributors, stopovers and warehouses. We have changed that. We accompany the entire path along the value chain, from the cocoa plant on the fine flavour cocoa plantation to direct sale of products. This means that the quality can be ensured and optimised, the number of stopovers and resources can be reduced to a minimum, and the transparency along the entire value chain can be ensured. We have used everything as an example for our ›Rausch Plantagen Costa Rica 84 % Cuvée Prestige‹ based on the value chain.
1. Fine flavour cocoa cultivation
Only fine flavour cocoa is allowed to be grown on our fine flavour cocoa plantation in Costa Rica so that it is impossible for it to mix with a different cocoa. Every cocoa tree is registered. This way we know its variety, the planting date and even the exact location.
2. Fine flavour cocoa harvesting
The important thing when harvesting the cocoa is the right time to harvest on the one hand and the right procedure on the other: only ripe, healthy cocoa pods are allowed to be processed further.
3. Fermentation and drying
After harvesting, the fresh seeds are fermented and dried on our plantation. The aim here is to intensify and optimise the fine flavour cocoa’s flavour. At high temperatures of up to 55°C, the acids produced cause the cocoa seed to die.
4. Transport by ship
The cocoa beans are transported to the Port of Hamburg by ship. Upon arrival, our cocoa biologists go through their quality controls.
5. Fine flavour cocoa chocolate mass
The fine flavour cocoa beans are roasted gently at 135°C, the shells removed and ground to cocoa mass. Adding cocoa butter and cane sugar creates our ›Rausch Plantagen Costa Rica 84 % Cuvée Prestige‹ after being refined and conched.
6. Chocolate manufactory
To achieve the fine texture and shiny surface, the chocolate is tempered. After being poured into moulds, the typical snap when breaking the chocolate will show how well the tempering process has worked.
7. Shop and enjoy
The chocolates are subsequently put into environmentally friendly recyclable packaging and sent off carbon neutrally.
OUR FINE FLAVOUR COCOA EXPERTS
RAUSCH GESCHÄFTSKUNDEN
»Sustainable management on a fine flavour cocoa plantation is a challenge. But for me there is nothing more exciting!«
»I’m Dr Christina Rohsius and, as the head of the Cocoa and Research department, I’m responsible for the quality testing of our fine flavour cocoas, the communication and training with our partners, and research.
I make sure that our high quality standards and quality criteria of Direct Trade are implemented..
I’ve been travelling to fine flavour cocoa plantations for over ten years now! Together with Dr Elsa Hegmann, we not only visit our long-standing partners, but are also always on the lookout for new ›origins‹ with special fine flavour cocoa varieties. I also accept the deliveries in Hamburg and check the quality on the spot.
One of the things I most enjoy is discovering the variety the world of cocoa has to offer on the plantations – every country has its own mood, culture, tradition and landscape. When I taste our chocolates, I’m instantly transported back to where they originated: in Grenada, Ecuador or, after three days’ travel, Madagascar.«
OUR PARTNER PLANTATIONS
RAUSCH GESCHÄFTSKUNDEN
OUR PARTNER PLANTATIONS
Since the late 1990s, we have been procuring our fine flavour cocoa directly from plantations in the regions of origin round the equator. The Rausch cocoa experts uphold the long-standing relationships with the local cocoa farmers. In the Fine Flavour Cocoa Institute on our own fine flavour cocoa plantation ›Tres Equis – Finca de Cacao‹ in Costa Rica, they search for new fine flavour cocoa varieties, continue to develop the intense dialogue and transfer of knowledge with the partners, and look for new partner plantations.
The selection of our partner plantations has four phases:
Phase 1: Search
Phase 2: Suitability
Phase 3: Development
Phase 4: Evaluation
After the suitability of the partner plantations has been assessed, the Direct Trade criteria are established together with the cooperation partner so that the productivity of the cocoa plantation is improved according to sustainable standards, the quality is optimal and both partners have the same goal: working together long term. Training, checks and optimisation are just as important as actively incorporating the cooperation partners in the organisation of each of the previous steps. Our previous direct partners are: Grenada, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Trinidad.
OUR LOCAL COMMITMENT
RAUSCH GESCHÄFTSKUNDEN
OUR LOCAL COMMITMENT
The direct contact with our partner plantations means that we know exactly where they need support and we can also offer individual and joint training courses. This includes courses such as »First aid for snake bites while working in the fields« or »The use and installation of solar dryers«.
We’re currently working on an online portal with training videos in Spanish and English, where topics such as »Organic fertilisation and plant fortifier«, »Use and production of terra preta earth as sustainable soil enrichment« and new methods of post-harvesting are introduced. This allows us to draw attention to new topics quickly and above all regardless of time and place
Personal dialogue is important to us. We each benefit from one another’s expertise.
Do you have any questions? Write us a message!
[email protected]
The direct contact with our partner plantations means that we know exactly where they need support and we can also offer individual and joint training courses. This includes courses such as »First aid for snake bites while working in the fields« or »The use and installation of solar dryers«.
We’re currently working on an online portal with training videos in Spanish and English, where topics such as »Organic fertilisation and plant fortifier«, »Use and production of terra preta earth as sustainable soil enrichment« and new methods of post-harvesting are introduced. This allows us to draw attention to new topics quickly and above all regardless of time and place
Personal dialogue is important to us. We each benefit from one another’s expertise.
Do you have any questions? Write us a message!
[email protected]
