The beans used to make Thriving Tanzania come from around 700 organic smallholder farms (each about 0.5–2 acres) in the Kilombero Valley. This fertile valley lies between two major biodiversity hotspots — Udzungwa Mountains National Park and Mikumi National Park — and cacao trees are often grown alongside rice paddies and banana crops.

Like all of Ora’s Origin Cacaos, the beans are harvested by farmers and sold wet, still surrounded by their fruit pulp. This approach allows for careful, centralized fermentation and drying, ensuring consistent quality.

This crucial post-harvest work is done by Kokoa Kamili — which means quality cacao in Swahili. Based in the village of Mbingu, Kokoa Kamili was founded to help transform what was once seen as low-grade commodity cacao into high-quality fine cacao. The beans of the Kilombero Valley have always had strong potential thanks to good genetics and favorable conditions, but for decades they went unnoticed in the fine cacao market due to poor post-harvest practices that prioritized volume over flavor.

Kokoa Kamili’s work is part of a wider shift happening across Africa, which grows and exports more than 70% of the world’s cacao but too often at the expense of land, communities, and quality. Projects like this one aim to raise standards, restore value, and empower farmers through better stewardship and fairer trade.

Once fermented and dried, the beans are packed and exported to makers like Ora. Jonas and his team then complete the transformation using a careful, minimalist chocolate-making process designed to preserve the cacao’s natural compounds while showcasing its best flavors. This includes light roasting, winnowing, grinding, conching, and tempering to create pure Origin Cacao discs.