Terroir Cocoa / Heritage & Team

The Hands Behind the Harvest

Three generations of dedication, craftsmanship, and community. Meet the family and farming experts who bring our cacao to life.

Rooted in the Earth, Guided by Tradition

What began as a modest family plot in Ecuador's Napo Valley has grown into a sanctuary for fine-flavor cacao. Our heritage isn't just about years on the land—it's about the relationships we've nurtured with the soil, the seasons, and each other.

The First Planting

1987 — André Delacroix plants 50 cacao trees on family land, dreaming of a chocolate that tells the story of its origin.

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Family Expansion

1995 — André's children join the farm. The estate grows to 200 acres, and traditional fermentation methods are refined in-house.

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Organic Certification

2005 — Terroir Cocoa achieves full organic certification, eliminating all synthetic inputs and embracing regenerative agriculture.

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International Recognition

2012 — Our Single Estate Reserve wins Grand Prix at the International Chocolate Awards, putting our valley on the global map.

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Next Generation Leadership

2020 — The third generation takes the helm, integrating climate-resilient farming while honoring ancestral techniques.

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Meet the Team

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André Delacroix

Founder & Heritage Advisor

The visionary who planted the first trees. André still walks the groves daily, sharing decades of botanical wisdom.

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Elena Delacroix-Moreau

Master Chocolatier

Trained in Brussels and returned home to craft our bean-to-bar collection. She oversees every conching batch.

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Mateo Delacroix

Estate Director

Manages daily operations, farmer relations, and supply chain logistics while ensuring fair-trade compliance.

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Sofia Ruiz

Sustainability Lead

Agricultural ecologist who developed our water-positive systems and reforestation initiatives across the valley.

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Carlos Mendez

Fermentation Master

Oversees the 7-day wooden box fermentation process, reading temperature and aroma to perfect flavor precursors.

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Lena Chen

Brand & Community

Bridges our farm with the world through storytelling, education programs, and direct-to-consumer outreach.

Our Guiding Principles

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Regenerative Stewardship

We don't just sustain the land—we restore it. Every practice is designed to leave the soil richer than we found it.

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Radical Transparency

From seed to shelf, you can trace every bar back to its specific grove, harvest date, and the hands that nurtured it.

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Knowledge Sharing

We host annual apprenticeships for young farmers and chocolatiers, ensuring traditional techniques thrive for generations.

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Equitable Prosperity

Profit isn't extracted—it's shared. Every team member and farming partner receives living wages and profit-sharing dividends.