The Seleno Health Uturunku Ceremonial Cacao Cup is made from sustainably sourced bamboo. It holds about 8.5 oz, perfect for your ceremonial cacao elixirs.
It is super durable, lightweight, and biodegradable.
Unlike most cacao products, Seleno Health cacao is analyzed and tested for heavy metal contaminants, particularly cadmium, which is a big problem in the Central and South American growing regions. High levels of Cadmium occur naturally in the soil due to volcanic activity, so it is always essential to check heavy metal levels in the cacao to ensure it is safe to consume.
Seleno Health is empowering and rescuing farmers. After years of violence from terrorists and drug traffickers in the cacao-growing region of Peru due to the cocaine industry, these farmers now have an opportunity to grow artisanal cacao instead of being lured into the illegal drug trade for money. Making sure they are paid a fair price for their crop also ensures that slave labor will never be used in the process. When you buy Seleno Health Cacao you are helping rescue farmers and families from the drug trade and rescue the ancient traditions surrounding cacao in Peru.
Seleno Health cacao is single origin. This means you know exactly where your cacao came from. It is not a mix of various countries and origins. When cacao is mixed together from lots of different places and batches, it is much easier for it to get adulterated and contaminated. By using single-origin cacao products, you always know where your cacao is coming from. In addition, sometimes sustainable cacao can be mixed with cacao that is not sustainably or ethically grown.
Seleno Health cacao is agroforestry ’shade-grown’ under the shadow of many native fruits, with an organic canopy protecting crops like banana and papaya. Cacao naturally loves to grow under a forest canopy, so there is less stress on the tree; it promotes biodiversity, improves soil fertility, and sequesters 30% more carbon than cacao, which is not shade-grown. By shade-growing cacao, no rainforest land is destroyed, helping to preserve it for future generations.
Seleno Health cacao is grown without synthetic pesticides like DDT, which is used throughout much of the cacao industry. This helps to protect the farmers and the environment. By buying cacao grown in a truly sustainable manner and without those terrible inputs, you help to ensure a better future for the people and the land.
Seleno Health believes it is our responsibility as consumers, suppliers, and retailers to protect the incredible heritage, culture, and history of Maca and Cacao in Peru and create an ethical and sustainable way to produce products that benefit all involved.
They have a direct partnership with their farmers and community in Peru and are committed to protecting them from exploitation, which can be prominent in many areas of the industry. The farms carry out the total production of their final products, meaning all profits are shared back with them, resulting in fair payment for premium farm-to-table products, a better-than-living wage, and eliminating the middleman.
They also donate a percentage of their profits to a development fund to improve the lives of those who make their products. They believe that if they benefit from the rich agricultural resources supplied by their farmers, then so should they.
When you buy food, do your research, buy ethically, and support companies that give back. Your purchase is like a vote; vote wisely for the people trying to preserve and protect, not profit.
In the community that grows the Maca for their products, they are currently working on these projects:
• Funding improvements to the conditions at the San Jose de Quero school
• Improving their farmer’s house in terms of infrastructure, consumables, heating, water, internet, and sanitation.
• They sponsor 14 children from the community and pay for their annual schooling needs.
• They funded the building of accommodations to house eco-tourists, allowing the community to generate a long-term sustainable income in addition to their current trade.
• They are working to create cultural and professional development programs for their farmers, their families, and the local school children; this will improve their levels of education and professional experience.
They also support the Mishollo Agrarian Community in Tocache, Peru, by aiding the liberation from drug cartels and criminal oppression and reconnecting them with their ancestral roots of Cacao cultivation. For over 30 years, farmers of Cacao in Peru have been pulled into an illegal drug trade by cartels needing coca plants to produce cocaine for export into Western markets. This has left Indigenous farmers and their communities devastated and often faced with bloodshed and violence to comply, plus instilling a disconnect and loss of the traditions, wisdom, and connection with Cacao as a master plant and medicine.
In 2012, the Rescue Cacao Program was developed to bring change to the industry. Their contribution helps purchase farming equipment so they can produce organic Cacao for export. By choosing their Cacao, you encourage them to reconnect with their ancestral roots of Cacao cultivation and help preserve the culture and history of Cacao in Peru.
FDA Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.