Our cacao holds EU organic certification, but Herbal Cacao as a business doesn’t—yet.
Here's the real reason, and what that means for trust and quality.
When I started Herbal Cacao, one of the core values I built this business on was (and is) is transparency. I knew from the very beginning that I didn’t want to hide behind marketing buzzwords or slap trendy certifications on our packaging just to follow the crowd. Instead, I wanted to walk with honesty and devotion to quality, to let the heart of our work speak for itself. That said, I also knew that in our first years, we simply couldn’t put our focus on obtaining organic certification.
There were more urgent priorities: building relationships with Indigenous partners, creating intentional blends, setting up a trustworthy supply chain, and navigating the emotional and spiritual responsibility that comes with working with sacred plant medicine. Organic certification, though important, had to wait.
But as I’ve journeyed deeper into this path, I’ve come to see the full picture—the beauty and the burdens—of the certification system.
My name is Sharon Fernie, and I am the Founder of Herbal Cacao, providing the world with high-quality Herbal Cacao Blends. I have a deep passion for holistic wellness and ancient traditions, and at Herbal Cacao, it's our mission to support our community on their journey of self and spiritual discovery, spreading awareness about the profound benefits of ceremonial cacao and other medicinal adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms.
Here in the "Herbal Cacao Journal" I explore the fascinating world of not just our active medicinal ingredients, but also dive into the world of rituals, ancient healing practices, and modern wellness techniques combined with experiences out of my own life.
So, whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or just beginning your holistic wellness journey, this blog post in the “Herbal Cacao Journal” is your invitation to deepen your understanding of sacred herb & plants and their profound impact on our mind, body, and spirit.
The Roots of Our Intention
So let me begin this conversation clearly: All of our ceremonial cacao holds official EU organic certification. That includes both our cacao from Belize and our Guatemalan cacao—both grown by Indigenous families in alignment with ancestral wisdom and natural farming practices.
However, some of the other ingredients in our cacao blends, like our cardamom, are sourced in very small batches directly from smallholder family farms. These farms often operate with deep integrity, cultivating in harmony with nature, but they do not (yet) hold official organic certification. Some are in the process of applying, and others simply cannot afford the administrative and financial burden of certification. This doesn’t make their products any less pure—in fact, many are even more aligned with organic principles than large-scale certified operations. And that’s part of the story I want to share.
The System Isn’t Built for Smallholders
Organic certification is created to protect the customer, and I get it—as a conscious consumer myself, I look for that EU organic label too, all the time! It’s meant to be a signal of trust, of quality, of care for the earth. But what many don’t see is how inaccessible that system often is for the smallholder farmers and Indigenous communities who actually farm in the most natural, ancestral ways.
The annual costs, the paperwork, the audits, the translations—it’s all built with industrial-scale operations in mind. It’s not a system that welcomes small, land-based producers with open arms. It’s "administratieve rompslomp," as we say in Dutch—bureaucracy that, ironically, often excludes the very stewards of the land we want to support.
And so, while some of our ingredients definitely DO carry the official EU organic certification, others come from farmers who could never afford it, or are still in the process of obtaining it—and depend on companies like us to champion the value of their sacred, pure offerings.
The Journey of Our Cacao Farmers
We are proud to share that the Indigenous Maya collectives we source our cacao from have successfully established systems for EU organic certification. This achievement has not come easily. It took years of dedication, guidance, and navigating complex bureaucratic processes. For new cacao farmers who wish to join the collective, the wait can be up to three years before all the necessary paperwork and approvals are complete. This process exists to protect us, the consumers, ensuring the integrity and traceability of what we consume. It’s a powerful reminder of the patience, cooperation, and commitment behind each cacao blend
Organic by Practice, Not Just by Label
Just because something doesn’t carry the label doesn’t mean it isn’t truly organic. But it does require the consumer to research and fact-check deeply, purchasing from a business they trust. Many of the communities we work with have been growing cacao, herbs, and medicinal plants in harmony with nature for generations. They follow the moon cycles. They use no pesticides or chemicals. They speak with the land. Their farming practices are rooted in a deep respect for the Earth.
To me, that is what organic should mean. And when we call our cacao "ceremonial grade," we are making a promise: that it has been grown, harvested, and prepared with reverence, love, and intention. It’s more than clean. It’s alive.
Building Trust with You
We understand that, for some, seeing that little green EU label brings peace of mind. We hear you. We honestly do. This article is not to convince you otherwise. And we want you to know that this isn’t where our story ends.
We are actively working to bring more transparency and continue exploring certification where it makes sense for our mission and the communities we work with. This blog post is part of that: to show you the whole truth, not just the pretty version.
We hope our community trusts that our commitment to organic values runs deeper than a label. For us, it’s not just about following regulations—it’s about standing in integrity with what we believe sacred medicine should be.
What Ceremonial Grade Truly Means
The term "ceremonial grade" carries deep meaning for us—it’s not just about quality, but about energy. It means the cacao has been grown in harmony with the Earth, in sacred relationship with land, culture, and purpose. We have always relied on the trust of our community to recognize this, knowing that true ceremonial cacao must, by its very nature—be organic, pure, and deeply respected!
It simply wouldn’t make sense to offer something for ceremony that was grown with chemicals or without intention. And while the world of ceremonial cacao is expanding, we must also be aware that with growing light comes growing shadows. We live in a world of duality.
As Herbal Cacao continues to grow, we recognise how important it is to also meet our expanding community with the tangible reassurance of certification. We’re working toward that with care. In the meantime, we bow in deepest gratitude to those of you who have been with us from the beginning—those who have heard our stories, shared a sacred cup of cacao with your loved ones, and trusted us to walk this path with integrity with us.
We see you. We feel your support. And we thank you so so much, from the bottom of our hearts
Our Ingredients: Certified & Beyond
Here’s a transparent breakdown of our current sourcing:
Ingredients with EU Organic Certification:
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Ceremonial Cacao, Maya Mountain, Belize (EU certified)
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Ceremonial Cacao, Lachua Guatemala (EU certified)
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Ceremonial Cacao, Alta Verapaz Guatemala (EU certified)
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Lion’s Mane (EU certified)
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Chaga (EU certified)
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Vanille (EU certified)
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Ceylon Cinnamon (EU certified)
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Cayenne Pepper (EU certified)
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Rose petals powder (EU certified)
Ingredients From Smallholder Farms Practising Organic Methods (Not Yet Certified):
- Mucuna Pruriens (Currently in the process of obtaining EU certification)
- Blue Lotus (direct trade, organic but not certified)
- Lavender (direct trade, organic but not certified)
- Cardamom (Directly sourced from the same indigenous Q’eqchi’ Maya families we source our Alta Verapaz, Guatemala cacao from. Due to low quantities, it's not affordable for the farmers to get this EU certified)
This goes without saying that we are happy for any of the fact-checkers under us to provide you with the official documentation of the EU certification for any of our ingredients outlined above.
Our cacao holds EU organic certification, but Herbal Cacao as a business doesn’t—yet.
These ingredients are not only grown without chemicals—they are grown with intention, with stories, and with deep love for the land. We trust these farmers deeply, and we hope that you trust us.
Our Commitment to Organic Integrity, Trust, and Transparency
We are so grateful for the love and trust of our community, for your patience and for your questions, and for walking this path with us. This is the kind of conversation we want to be having—real, raw, and rooted in mutual respect.
We will continue to strive for clarity, responsibility, and integrity in everything we offer. Because when we say Herbal Cacao is made with love and intention, we really do mean it.
As we grow as a business, our mission remains to support our farmers at the source and to deepen the trust of our community. We are constantly exploring how we can provide the certification labels that transparently signal the integrity of our products, without compromising our values or the farmers we stand behind.
We continue our application process with SKAL, the official Dutch organic certification body. We fully understand that we may not be able to certify every single aspect of our business, but we are committed to progress. We promise to keep you informed of any changes along the path.
This is a journey we walk together, and we thank you for walking it with us.
