Our cacao holds EU organic certification, and today Herbal Cacao as a business does too.
Here is the real story behind that journey, and what it means for trust and quality.
When I started Herbal Cacao, one of the core values I built this business on was (and still 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.
At the same time, I also knew that organic certification needed to be approached with care. It wasn’t something I wanted to rush into before our foundations, relational, logistical, and ethical, were truly aligned.
In the early years of Herbal Cacao, our attention was needed elsewhere first.
There were more urgent priorities: building respectful, long-term relationships with Indigenous partners, creating intentional blends with integrity, establishing a trustworthy and traceable supply chain, and learning to hold the emotional and spiritual responsibility that comes with working with sacred plant medicine.
Organic certification mattered to us deeply, but we did not want to pursue it before these foundations were in place. For us, certification was never meant to lead the work — it was meant to reflect it.
However, as of January 2026, Herbal Cacao is officially SKAL certified. This means we are recognized as organic within the Netherlands and compliant with EU organic regulations!
This certification reflects the systems, sourcing, and processes we now have in place, and the conscious pace at which we chose to arrive here.
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, all grown by Indigenous families in alignment with ancestral wisdom and natural farming practices.
As Herbal Cacao has grown, we have also taken the time to bring our blending, packaging, storage, and administration fully into alignment with EU organic standards. This allowed us to obtain SKAL certification in a way that felt integrated rather than rushed.
However, some of the other ingredients in our blends, such as cardamom, are sourced in very small batches directly from smallholder family farms. These farms often operate with deep integrity, cultivating in harmony with nature, yet face real barriers when it comes to certification. Some are in the process of applying, while others simply cannot afford the administrative and financial burden.
This does not make their products any less pure. In many cases, their practices are even more aligned with organic principles than large-scale certified operations, and that nuance remains an important part of our story.
The System Isn’t Built for Smallholders
Organic certification is created to protect the customer, and as a conscious consumer myself, I value that little green EU label deeply. It is meant to signal trust, quality, and care for the Earth. But what often goes unseen is how inaccessible the system can be for smallholder farmers and Indigenous communities who 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.
This is why, alongside our certification, we continue to advocate for and work with farmers whose integrity goes far beyond what a label alone can express.
The Journey of Our Cacao Farmers
We are deeply proud of the Indigenous Maya collectives we source our cacao from, who have established and maintained EU organic certification systems over time. This achievement has not come easily. It has taken years of dedication, guidance, and patience to navigate complex bureaucratic processes.
For new cacao farmers joining these collectives, the journey can take up to three years before certification is complete. This process exists to protect us as consumers, ensuring traceability, accountability, and trust, and it is a powerful reminder of the commitment behind each cacao blend.
Organic by Practice, Not Just by Label
Just because something carries a label does not mean it automatically carries integrity, and just because something does not carry a label does not mean it is not deeply organic in practice. Many of the communities we work with have been growing cacao, herbs, and medicinal plants in harmony with nature for generations. They follow moon cycles. They use no pesticides or chemicals. They speak with the land. Their practices are rooted in reverence.
To me, that is what organic truly means.
When we speak of ceremonial grade cacao, we are making a promise. It has been grown, harvested, and prepared with intention, love, and respect. It is more than clean. It is alive.
Building Trust with You
We understand that for many people, seeing the EU organic label brings peace of mind, and we honour that. This article is not written to diminish certification, but to add depth and context to what it represents.
Our SKAL certification is part of our commitment to meeting our growing community with clarity and reassurance, while remaining rooted in our values. Transparency has always been at the heart of Herbal Cacao, and that includes sharing the full story, not just the simplified version.
What Ceremonial Grade Truly Means
The term ceremonial grade carries deep meaning for us. It is not just about quality, but about energy, intention, and relationship. 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.
As the world of ceremonial cacao expands, we remain aware that growth brings both light and shadow. Discernment matters.
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 is a transparent overview 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 Practicing 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)
We are always happy to provide official certification documentation for any certified ingredients listed above.
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 deeply grateful for the trust of our community, for your questions, your patience, and your willingness to walk this path with us.
SKAL certification marks an important milestone for Herbal Cacao, but it is not the end of the journey. Integrity is something we practise daily, in our sourcing, our relationships, and our choices as we grow.
Our mission remains the same. We support our farmers at the source, honour sacred plant medicine, and deepen trust with our community through openness and care.
This is a journey we walk together, and we thank you for walking it with us.
