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A Sweet Start to Ripple Fest! The TCHO Chocolate Factory Tour 🍫 The day before last week's #RippleFest, the OSC Packaging Collaborative had the pleasure of touring the TCHO Chocolate Factory in Berkeley, CA. The visit was a remarkable deep dive into the world of high-quality chocolate and sustainable practices. Thank you to the entire TCHO team, and especially to Josh Mohr, Laura Sweitzer, and Brett Fisher for hosting, teaching, and inspiring! Key Takeaways from the TCHO Tour: Sustainable Sourcing: TCHO Source is TCHO’s unique program establishing partners throughout their supply chain to ensure quality sourcing, and care for all people along the way. With Laura Sweitzer as their Director of Sustainability and Strategic Sourcing, this combined approach ensures that the quality of cocoa is not compromised by pricing pressures. Responsible Practices: TCHO is committed to Fair Trade Certified and certified organic ingredients, and are known for their unique natural flavor profiles. Localized Origin Roasting: 93% of TCHO's cocoa is roasted in the same country where it’s grown. This model supports local communities and keeps financial investment within the origin country, while reducing shipping weight by 20% for significant savings on shipping costs and emissions. Awards: TCHO has just won two International Chocolate Awards for their Perfect Matcha and Dirty Chai bars. Congratulations and well earned! Our time at TCHO and the subsequent community meeting helped us build momentum for the remainder of this year, and into 2025. From these experiences and discussions we move forward with renewed purpose and inspiration. Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to making this event both enjoyable and impactful! 🚀🌱🎯