I am new to chocolate life and am looking for information on how to buy/import cacao beans from other countries. I am thinking about getting 100 kilos each, from a variety of countries to make some bean to bar.

Is it easiest/cheapest to buy from an importer, and who would people recommend?

If I went to costa rica, found a great farmer, bought some beans, how would I get them home?

Where can I find a listing of fair prices for cacao so I have something to compare to?

Thanks, Dan

updated by @dan-bieser: 06/29/23 16:49:02

Hi Dan

You might contact Juan Pablo Buchert in costa Rica juan@chocolate-nahua.com

There is also a cooperative that ships cacao from the Southern Caribbean of CR called APPTA

You can research commodity prices on-line. Prices in-country could fall in the $3.50 to $5 per kg range for pretty good cacao.

Peter

Hi Dan -Cocoa Samoa Limited (CSL) hasgot 4-day and 7-day fermented sun-dried Trinitario cocoa beans for sale in 10kg and 20kg bags, direct from our growers, all beautifully sorted. Price is $USD12/kg FOB - you pay the postage and insurance on top of this price (allow $USD7-17/kg airfreight around the world - by ship can take 4 weeks plus, but is cheaper). We are currently sending 400kg to 5 new roasters, we now have 2 batches of 70% dark chocolate made in Adelaide and Melbourne (Australia) - this is just our first sample packaging

We also have 2-3 tonne available now should anyone be interested............our cocoa growers can prepare more if it is needed.....we have so many mature pods needing a good home. If interested, contact Tupa'e Steve on stevebrownsamoa@gmail.com and we can try and assist you. We can even send our testimonials from our roasters' initial batches prepared. Samoan Trinitario has always had a fine reputation since the early German cocoa plantation days in the late 1800s. Samoans today still consume a lot (50 tonnes annually) of locally prepared cocoa (Koko Samoa) and it is excellent.

Thank you Peter and also Steve.

Steve, I will get in touch with you.

Akbar Kaliwala.

Hi Dan,

I own an organic fruit farm on the caribbean coast of costa rica. we are also a volunteer/enviromental project and sell a variety of chocolate products, but we proudly produce a 80% criollo cacao. all our beans are grown on our farm and are fermented and sun dried. i also have cacao beans in washington state, to get them to the usa i usaully have myf amily just check an extra bag on the airlines as air freight and cargo freight requires much more weight to make it economically beneficial, feel free to contact us on our webpage at www.companeroscacao.org

pura vida.

C.Shaw

Hi Mr. C, Yes I am interested in getting some of your beans. I may be going to costa rica in january but would prefer to get some beans before then. I will check your web site and contact you for pricing and availability.

Ciao, Dan

Dan, i graciously invite you to our farm, if you are in costa rica please feel free to contact us about availability in our guest house or just stop by for some samples of our chocolate or a shot of our chocolate rum! i will be in touch.

pura vida

Hello Mr. C,

I, too am looking for additional varieties of beans for our Bean2Bar production. Might you have any beans stateside and a steady stream coming into the US that you would be able to supply us with?

Thanks,

Chris

Chris, i do have our fermented and sundried criollo cacao beans statesside, my sister has a supply in washington state. please email me at companeroscacao@gmail.com to discuss price and quantity.

-pura vida

i am a cocoa farmer from east africa, and i am able to supply any quantity of cocoa bean requested

Contact me soonest if interested lopezmariam3@gmail.com

Hola Dan, 
I am a chocolate maker in Costa Rica and have beans I could sell to you.  Where are you located?  We should talk if you are interested in 100k or more.