Sentient Times Dec/Jan 06

Doing Business Sustainably

By Rachel Bendat

Dagoba Organic Chocolate, now located in Ashland, Oregon, recently received two awards for its leadership in sustainable practices—the Socially Responsible Business Award and the Spirit of Organic Award. When asked if the company is fully sustainable, Dagoba Founder Frederick Schilling, 34, smiled, and asked, “does it exist?”

Last May, as a host at the Telluride Mountain Film Festival, Dagoba participated in panel discussions along with companies such as Patagonia and Starbucks. They explored the theme, “Sustainability and Commerce—Can it Exist?” Frederick wants to say yes, although Dagoba is not yet fully sustainable.

One approach Dagoba uses is to pay an extra premium to Pacific Power to help fund the expansion of renewable energy use in the area. They are also exploring lining the rooftops of the Dagoba buildings with solar panels and dream of someday building a fully sustainable manufacturing facility.

Recognizing that our whole food chain is quite messed up, Schilling feels very passionate about bringing it back to what it was before the chemical age—organic and healthy. Dagoba chocolates are all organic and many are Fair Trade Certified. Committed to quality as well as equitable wages and conditions, Dagoba works directly with cacao growers in Latin America and the Caribbean where the beans are shade grown in biodiverse forests where migratory birds and butterflies thrive.

The wrapper on each Dagoba bar reads, “Chocolate is sacred. There is an art to the alchemy of flavor infusion, an art we explore with mystery and integrity.” What exactly is an alchemical approach to chocolate making?

Schilling’s eyes sparkle as he explains, “The art of alchemy, if you look at it in a black and white way, you’ll never get it. Just as with life—if you only see the black and white, you never get it and you lose the mystery. Chocolate’s the same way. Chocolate is not black and white. Cocoa butter is the most complex fat on earth—there are always many variables.

“Many people think of alchemy on the physical level, as the conversion of lead to gold, and at the same time, there is also the unseen transformation. The transformation of the cacao bean is alchemical in its root.

“I believe we are here to learn, to love, and to become a better spirit. For me it’s about a life quest of transforming us as beings into gold, into the Sun, into being Love and Light. This is how I live my life and it trickles down into my business.”

Schilling would counsel someone starting a new business to listen to everyone’s advice and then to follow their own heart. He believes that the time is ripe to create new models of business and notes that there is a lot of opportunity to do business in a new way, while at the same time “there is so much chaos that you have to be very passionate and pay attention and maintain integrity so that you can succeed.”

What advice would Schilling offer to new entrepreneurs on becoming sustainable? He smiles. “Back to that question—does it exist? I believe it can. At Dagoba we use 100% recycled paper for all of our wrappers. We do what we can. I would advise others to do everything they can to help achieve sustainability.”

With a focus which is sustainable, healthy, and good for the planet the company’s practices benefit the farmers, the land, and their customers, proving a business can be successful and make choices based on more than just “the bottom line.” And the chocolate is divine.

To learn more about Dagoba Organic Chocolate, visit their beautiful website www.dagobachocolate.com.

Rachel Bendat is an Ashland writer, certified postpartum doula, and mama of two wonderful boys, Zachariah and Gabriel.

Honoring the Human Resource

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Dagoba chocolate plant and was very impressed by their conscious business practices. By integrating all the way to the cocoa source instead of buying bulk processed chocolate from someone else they have achieved control of the entire process—from the bean through what you and I eat when we buy one of their products. Although essential to high end quality, this is not easy as the growing areas are off shore and a US company which imports has little control over bean selection or early process control.

Dagoba answered this dilemma by recognizing that they needed to have a presence and an impact in the growing areas. At the same time, they did not choose to build an operation there as many corporation are wont to do. Instead, they recognized that they have to pay overt attention to building close relationships with the rain forest farmers from whom they buy. They travel to the growing sites, meet with farmers and workers, and take a close interest in the people, the bean selection process, as well as the processing of that bean. They have also chosen to pay living wages as a part of creating a healthy relationship.

Put another way, they recognize that financial returns are really non-financially driven. The non-financial input is their relationship building. The local farmers retain their self determination and Dagoba gets their good will. Honoring the human resource seems to be at the core of their corporate management practice. That was impressive to me.

I like what Dagoba produces. It seems to be the best I have ever tasted. What I really like, however, is the way they work. Honoring people, letting excellence emerge through right relationship is rare today. This little company seems to excel in this. As they grow, I so hope they do not cave in to more standard practices.

- Paul Hwoschinsky