What We Carry Home

What We Carry Home

by | Aug 26, 2026 | Chocolate manufacturers Melbourne, Uncategorized, Wellness Blogs, Wellness Event

I’m writing this from the plane, somewhere between Western Australia and home, with that particular kind of exhaustion that comes after being held by people you love.

I’ve just finished choir camp with Mamakin Spender, Virginia Bott, Stacia Gonnion and then spent several days visiting stores through Fremantle and Margaret River with my sister Audrey Moala introducing people to Living Koko and our cacao. Some of those stores have already placed orders, and I’ll share them below because each conversation felt like part of a much bigger journey.

But sitting here on the plane, I keep thinking about community.

About what happens when people gather to sing, move, laugh, cry and simply be together. And about how much of that experience we carry back into our lives. The memories

There is something ancient about gathering in this way. Long before wellness retreats and festivals existed, people gathered to sing, dance, share food, tell stories, grieve, celebrate and make meaning together. These aren’t new ideas. They are old ways of being human, and I think there is a reason they continue to call us back.

Every choir camp gives me so many of those moments. Deepened friendships, enormous hugs, tears, laughter and the kind of tiredness that comes from giving yourself fully to something. There was even a Monday night of New Girl on Dani’s couch with my exhausted and very happy choir sisters. Nothing particularly profound was happening, but somehow it was everything. It was the comfort of being with people who had become family.

I feel such gratitude for Danielle Caruana and John Butler and the love and generosity they continue to offer their community. There is a particular kind of love that comes from chosen family — the kind that helps keep us grounded when life gets complicated, and reminds us that we don’t have to carry everything alone.

What struck me during my time in Western Australia was how much these spaces seem to matter.

WA had a different feeling to Victoria, and it made me reflect on how deeply the years of COVID affected people at home. We lost so many opportunities to gather, to touch, to sing, to dance and to simply be around one another. For many people, I think we are still finding our way back from that.

Perhaps that is why choir camps, yoga festivals, movement spaces and other gatherings feel so important now. They give us somewhere to release what we have been carrying, to see one another again and to remember that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.

And then something beautiful happened while I was visiting stores. I walked into one shop to introduce myself and Living Koko, as I had been doing all week. Honestly, there was something slightly Notting Hill about it — just a girl, standing in front of a store, asking them to love her cacao. lol

During our conversation, one of the customers asked me, “Are you the Polynesian dance teacher from choir camp?”

She hadn’t even been to choir camp. Her friends had, and they had gone home and talked about our cacao and movement sessions.

That small conversation moved me more than I expected. Because there it was: the ripple.

Something that happened in one community had travelled into another person’s life, and then into a shop  – where I was standing with a box of cacao asking if they would like to stock it. We talked, connected, and they placed an order straight away.

It reminded me that the things we create with love rarely stay where we create them.

A song travels home with someone. A movement practice changes how someone feels in their body. A conversation becomes a friendship. A friendship introduces someone else to a new idea, a new person or a new place. And sometimes, somehow, that journey leads to a little shop in Western Australia putting Living Koko on their shelves.

This is also what I love about cacao.

For us, it has never simply been about making a good product. Cacao has always been connected to gathering, culture, story, nourishment and relationship. It creates an invitation to slow down and share something together.

The more I travel, the more I believe that what we need is definitely not more noise, more productivity or more things to achieve. We need spaces where people can soften enough to see one another again.

We need community.

We need movement.

We need song.

We need the generosity of people who open their homes and their hearts.

And we need to remember that these aren’t modern inventions. They are ways of being that have carried human beings through generations.

Perhaps our job is simply to keep them alive…To keep making room for one another.

Because the goodness created in those spaces doesn’t disappear when the weekend ends. We carry it home to our families, our friendships, our workplaces and our communities — and sometimes, without even realising it, we pass a little of it on to someone else.

That feels like a beautiful way to build a life.

And a beautiful way to build a business, too.

We are proud to announce you can find out drinking cacao and some of our chocolate range at the following stores in WA:

Denmark Wholefoods Shop – Denmark

Blue Ginger Fine Foods – Margaret River

Gourmet Food Merchant – Cowaramup

Whole Green Pepper – Holistic Health Service – Bunbury

and offered at Kylie Holdem’s retreats and circles

Does cacao contain heavy metals?

Does cacao contain heavy metals?

by | Aug 18, 2026 | Chocolate manufacturers Melbourne, Uncategorized, Wellness Blogs

Yes. Like many plants, cacao can naturally contain trace amounts of metals that occur in soil and the wider environment.

That doesn’t mean cacao is unsafe.

It means that where cacao is grown, how it is cultivated and how it is tested matter.

At Living Koko, we believe you should know not only where your cacao comes from, but also what is in it.

So we recently sent our Head & Heart Drinking Cacao to an independent laboratory for testing for four metals:

  • Cadmium
  • Lead
  • Mercury
  • Nickel

The results gave us a clearer picture of our cacao — and we’re sharing the actual numbers with you.

Our cacao heavy metal testing results

Our Head & Heart sample was tested by Symbio Laboratories in Melbourne using ICP-MS analysis.

Here are the results:

Metal Result
Cadmium (Cd) 0.13 mg/kg
Lead (Pb) 0.05 mg/kg
Mercury (Hg) <0.01 mg/kg
Nickel (Ni) 7.91 mg/kg

These are results from the particular sample submitted to the laboratory. They are not a claim that every batch of cacao will have exactly the same composition.

And that distinction matters.

Food testing is about measuring what is actually there — not making promises that nature cannot guarantee.

Why are heavy metals found in cacao?

The term “heavy metals” can sound frightening.

But some metals occur naturally in soil, water and plants.

Cacao trees absorb minerals and trace elements from the soil as they grow. Cadmium, in particular, can be taken up by cacao plants and stored in the leaves and seeds. Research into cacao has shown that soil and growing conditions can influence the amount of cadmium that ends up in cacao products.

This is one reason cacao origin matters.

Cacao isn’t simply a commodity that exists in a vacuum.

It comes from somewhere.

It grows in particular soil.

It is influenced by climate, farming practices and the surrounding environment.

For Living Koko, our cacao journey begins with farmers and cacao trees in Samoa.

That connection to place is part of what makes our cacao special — and part of why responsible testing matters.

Cadmium in cacao: what did our testing show?

Cadmium is one of the metals that receives particular attention in cocoa and chocolate because cacao can naturally accumulate it from the soil.

Australia and New Zealand set a maximum level of 0.5 mg/kg for cadmium in chocolate and cocoa products under the Food Standards Code.

Our Head & Heart result was:

0.13 mg/kg

That’s approximately 74% below the Australian/New Zealand maximum level.

The European Union also regulates cadmium in cocoa products. Its maximum level for cocoa powder placed on the market for the final consumer, including cocoa powder used in drinking chocolate, is 0.60 mg/kg.

Our result of 0.13 mg/kg is approximately 78% below that EU maximum. (how awesome is that!!!)

That’s a result we’re pleased to see.

But we’re not going to turn one test into a grand claim that our cacao is somehow “free from heavy metals”.

Because it isn’t.

And that’s not how responsible food testing works.

What about lead in cacao?

Our lead result was:

0.05 mg/kg

Lead is an environmental contaminant that food producers take seriously.

We tested for it because we want to understand the broader contaminant profile of our cacao, rather than looking at only one number.

Our laboratory measured 0.05 mg/kg of lead in the Head & Heart sample.

We think there’s value in simply telling you the result.

No dramatic headline.

No “zero heavy metals” claim.

Just the number.

What does this mean in a normal serving?

Our Head & Heart cacao tested at 0.05 mg/kg of lead. The European Union sets a maximum permitted level of 0.60 mg/kg for cocoa powder sold to consumers, including cocoa powder used in drinking chocolate.

Our result is therefore well below the EU maximum — approximately 92% lower than the permitted level.  This is something massive to celebrate!!!

Looking at it from a normal serving perspective, a 30 g serving of Head & Heart contains approximately 1.5 micrograms (µg) of lead. The EU limit of 0.60 mg/kg would correspond to 18 µg of lead in a 30 g serving.

Lead is an environmental contaminant, so we don’t claim that our cacao contains “zero lead” — our testing found a small, measurable amount. Instead, we think the useful thing is to show you the actual result and put it into context: 0.05 mg/kg in the product, or approximately 1.5 µg in a 30 g serving, compared with the EU maximum of 0.60 mg/kg for drinking chocolate.

No dramatic headline. No “zero heavy metals” claim. Just the number, the standard, and the context.

What about mercury in cacao?

Our mercury result was reported as:

<0.01 mg/kg

This means the mercury level was below the laboratory’s reporting limit of 0.01 mg/kg. It does not mean that mercury was necessarily completely absent — simply that it was below the level the laboratory could reliably report as a quantified result.

To put this into the context of a normal serving, if mercury were present at the laboratory’s reporting limit of 0.01 mg/kg, a 30 g serving would contain less than 0.0003 mg — or less than 0.3 micrograms (µg) — of mercury.

Unlike lead, there isn’t a specific EU maximum level for mercury in cocoa or drinking chocolate that we can use as a direct comparison. So rather than creating a misleading “safe limit” comparison, we’re sticking with what our laboratory actually reported.

Mercury: <0.01 mg/kg.
A 30 g serving: <0.3 µg.

Again, we’re sharing the laboratory’s wording rather than turning a below-reporting-limit result into a stronger claim than the science supports.

What about nickel in cacao?

A few weeks ago I had a wonderful community member ask us about Nickel at a Melbourne instore tasting, this isn’t usually something we test as chocolate makers but because he was monitoring this due to heavy metals in his own body we decided to go out and get this checked with our labs again to understand what our snapshot is right now.

Nickel was the highest of the four metals tested:

7.91 mg/kg

This is where some important context is needed.

There isn’t a simple Australia/New Zealand or EU maximum level for nickel in cacao equivalent to the specific cadmium limits above.

So we don’t think it would be responsible to invent a “safe” or “unsafe” threshold and present it as a regulatory standard.

Nickel occurs naturally in many plant foods.

The concentration in a food is only one part of understanding exposure. How much of the food is consumed also matters.

For us, this result means monitoring, learning and continuing to test — not fear.

What does this mean in a normal serving?

At the tested concentration of 7.9 mg of nickel per kilogram, a 30 g serving of cacao contains approximately 0.237 mg (237 micrograms) of nickel. For context, the 1 mg (1,000 microgram) adult upper intake level sometimes referenced in scientific literature represents a general upper intake level for adults for soluble nickel salts — it is not a legal limit for nickel in food. A 30 g serving of our cacao therefore contains approximately 24% of that 1 mg reference value. Nickel occurs naturally in many plant foods, including cacao, nuts, legumes and grains, and only a fraction of dietary nickel is absorbed into the bloodstream. For the general population, nickel exposure is best considered in the context of overall dietary intake, while people with nickel sensitivity or allergy may need individual dietary guidance.

Is ceremonial cacao safe?

This is a question we hear more and more as ceremonial cacao becomes increasingly popular.

The honest answer is that “ceremonial cacao” is not, by itself, a scientific guarantee of safety or a particular contaminant level.

What matters is the cacao itself, its source, how it has been processed, the product formulation and appropriate food-safety testing.

At Living Koko, we don’t believe a beautiful story about cacao should replace good food science.

We want both.

The story matters.

The farmers matter.

The land matters.

And the testing matters too.

Why testing cacao matters

Cacao is a plant.

Plants grow in soil.

Soil contains naturally occurring minerals and trace elements.

That is simply part of agriculture.

The question isn’t whether we can make nature disappear.

The question is whether we understand what we’re working with.

That’s why independent testing is valuable.

It gives us information we cannot get from looking at a cacao bean, smelling it or tasting it.

And it allows us to make decisions based on evidence rather than assumption.

Our laboratory report also makes an important point: where samples are supplied by the customer, the results apply to the samples as received and responsibility for representative sampling rests with the customer.

For us, that means one laboratory report is a snapshot, not the end of the story.

We want to build a longer history of testing across representative batches of our cacao.

From Samoan soil to your cup

There is something beautiful about knowing where your food comes from.

Our cacao begins with farmers in Samoa.

It grows from the earth.

It is harvested, fermented and processed.

And eventually, it becomes something very simple:

A warm cup of cacao between your hands.

That journey deserves care at every stage.

For us, ethical cacao isn’t only about the relationship between farmer and buyer.

It is also about stewardship.

Of the land.

Of the cacao.

Of the people who grow it.

And of the people who drink it.

Our approach to cacao testing

We don’t believe in using science as a marketing trick.

We believe in using it as a tool for better making.

That means:

We test.

We measure.

We learn.

We keep improving.

And when we have information that our customers may reasonably want to know, we’d rather share the actual numbers than hide behind vague language.

Our latest Head & Heart results showed:

Cadmium — 0.13 mg/kg

Lead — 0.05 mg/kg

Mercury — <0.01 mg/kg

Nickel — 7.91 mg/kg

Our cadmium result is comfortably below the Australian/New Zealand maximum level for chocolate and cocoa products and below the EU maximum for cocoa powder and drinking chocolate.

And that’s worth celebrating.

Not because it means our work is finished.

But because it gives us another piece of evidence that the care we put into our cacao is heading in the right direction.

Good cacao should taste beautiful.

But we believe it should also be made with care.

From Samoan soil to your cup.

That’s Living Koko.

Certified With Care: Why Living Koko Became Kosher Certified

Certified With Care: Why Living Koko Became Kosher Certified

by | Aug 10, 2026 | Chocolate manufacturers Melbourne, Uncategorized, Wellness Blogs

Across many cultures, food carries responsibility. The way we grow, prepare and share food reflects our relationship with one another.

Food is more than nourishment. It carries stories, traditions and connection. It carries the hands that grow it, the land it comes from and the communities who gather around it.

In Samoa, we understand this deeply. Food is an expression of connection – to the land, to family, to ancestors and to the people we share it with.

This understanding has always been at the heart of Living Koko.

From the cacao trees grown by farming families in Samoa, to the handcrafted chocolate and drinking cacao we make in Australia, every part of our journey is guided by respect.

Respect for the land.
Respect for people.
Respect for culture and tradition.
And respect for the food we create.

That is why we are proud to share that Living Koko is now Kosher Certified.

Why did Living Koko become Kosher Certified?

Our journey towards kosher certification actually began with a conversation.

Some new friends at Be Bowld asked whether Living Koko could become kosher certified and at several instore tastings many people would ask if our products were.

It was a question we were genuinely interested in exploring.

When we looked more closely at what kosher certification required, we discovered that many of the practices we had already built into our chocolate-making and food production processes aligned with kosher requirements. We were already incredibly careful about our ingredients, suppliers, production processes, cleaning procedures and traceability.

But there was an important difference between following good practices and having those practices independently verified…So we decided to take the next step.

We became officially Kosher Certified so that people who follow kosher dietary laws could enjoy Living Koko with confidence – and so that our wider community could see another layer of accountability behind the food we make.

What does kosher certification mean?

Kosher refers to food that complies with Jewish dietary laws, known as kashrut.

For a food manufacturer, kosher certification involves more than simply checking whether individual ingredients are suitable.

The certification process can include reviewing:

  • Ingredients and ingredient suppliers
  • Production and manufacturing processes
  • Equipment and production areas
  • Cleaning procedures
  • Storage and handling
  • Traceability and documentation

For Living Koko, this means our vegan chocolate and cacao products are produced within a certified system that has been independently reviewed according to kosher requirements. It is another way of giving our customers confidence in the care and integrity behind our products.

Is vegan chocolate automatically kosher?

This is a common question.

While Living Koko products are vegan and do not contain animal-derived ingredients, vegan and kosher are not the same certification.

A product can be vegan without being kosher certified.

Kosher certification considers not only the ingredients themselves, but also their sources, how they are handled, the equipment used and the processes involved in manufacturing.

This is why independent kosher certification provides an additional level of assurance.

For Living Koko, it complements the standards we already hold around ethical sourcing, ingredient transparency and responsible chocolate production.

More than a certification

We have never believed in making chocolate simply for the sake of making chocolate. We believe cacao is a relationship.

A relationship between the soil and the tree. Between the farmer and the harvest. Between the maker and the finished product. And between the person holding a warm cup of cacao and the moment they choose to slow down, connect and be present.

Our Samoan cacao carries a story that begins long before it reaches our kitchen in Australia.

We work with cacao farming communities in Samoa because we believe ethical chocolate should recognise the people and places behind every bean. For us, sustainability is not simply about packaging or production. It is about relationships, responsibility and thinking beyond the product in our hands.

Kosher certification is another part of that journey.

Creating a wider welcome

As Living Koko grows, we are learning that people have many different relationships with food.

For some, food choices are guided by sustainability. For others, ethical sourcing matters most. Some people choose vegan products. Others follow cultural, spiritual or religious food traditions that have been passed down through generations. We believe there should be room for all of these conversations.

Our goal is not to make everyone the same. – It is to create food that allows more people to gather around the same table.

That is why we are continuing to explore ways to make Living Koko more accessible to diverse communities while staying true to the values that have shaped us from the beginning.

Certifications that reflect our values

We don’t pursue certifications simply to collect logos. We pursue them because they represent commitments.

A commitment to transparency.

A commitment to quality.

A commitment to accountability.

And a commitment to listening to the communities we serve. Kosher certification is one step in our continuing journey to create ethical, sustainable and carefully crafted cacao that more people can enjoy with confidence.

Our journey began with Samoan cacao.

It continues through every farmer, maker, customer and community we connect with along the way.

Because at the heart of it all, cacao has always been about connection.

A shared cup.

A shared story.

A shared moment.

Certified with care. Created with integrity.

Frequently Asked Questions About Living Koko’s Kosher Certification

Is Living Koko chocolate kosher certified?

Yes. Living Koko is now Kosher Certified. Our ingredients and production processes have been reviewed as part of the certification process to ensure they meet kosher requirements.

Is Living Koko chocolate vegan?

Yes. Living Koko creates vegan chocolate and cacao products. Our vegan products are made without animal-derived ingredients.

Is vegan chocolate automatically kosher?

No. Vegan and kosher are different standards. Kosher certification considers ingredients as well as their sources, handling, equipment and manufacturing processes.

Why is kosher certification important for chocolate?

Kosher certification provides confidence for people who follow Jewish dietary laws and gives consumers additional assurance about ingredients, manufacturing processes and food production standards.

Where does Living Koko cacao come from?

Living Koko sources cacao from Samoa, PNG and Vanuatu,, working with cacao farming communities and transforming the beans into handcrafted chocolate and drinking cacao products in Australia.

Is kosher certification a religious blessing?

No. Kosher certification is a formal process of verifying that food and its production comply with Jewish dietary laws. It is not simply a blessing placed on a finished product.

Will Living Koko pursue other certifications?

We are continuing to listen to our community and explore ways to make Living Koko accessible to more people. Any future certifications will be considered carefully and will need to align with our commitment to quality, transparency, ethical sourcing and responsible food production.

From Samoa to the world

Living Koko began with a simple belief: that cacao can connect us.

Connect us to the land.

Connect us to the people who grow our food.

Connect us to culture and tradition.

And connect us to one another.

Becoming Kosher Certified is not a change in who we are.

It is another expression of who we have always aimed to be:

ethical, transparent, respectful and welcoming.

From the cacao trees of Samoa to communities around the world, we will continue creating cacao with care.

Certified with care. Created with integrity.

What Is Ceremonial Cacao? A Samoan Perspective on Vā, Koko and Connection

What Is Ceremonial Cacao? A Samoan Perspective on Vā, Koko and Connection

by | Jul 28, 2026 | Chocolate manufacturers Melbourne, Events, Uncategorized, Wellness Blogs, Wellness Event, Wholesale Chocolate

I get asked this question almost every time I’m at an in-store tasting. ..“Is this ceremonial cacao?”  I also receive calls here at Living Koko from people asking if our drinking cacao is “ceremonial grade.”

It is a beautiful question, but one that is not easy to answer.

My response comes from the perspective of an Indigenous Samoan woman who has seen our koko shared in homes, villages, celebrations, moments of grief, acts of service and everyday life. Always with reverence. Always with respect. Not because someone announced that a ceremony was about to begin, but because this is simply our way of being.

When we try to explain Indigenous knowledge through an overseas lens, something can be lost. The complexity can disappear, but so can the beautiful simplicity of it all.  So when someone asks me whether our cacao is ceremonial, I often respond with a question of my own.

“What does ceremonial cacao mean to you?”

Interestingly, almost every person pauses. Many have not reflected on this.

Many have listened to a podcast or attended a wellness retreat. They have heard about ceremonial cacao’s magnesium, antioxidants, flavanols or its ability to support heart opening, presence and wellbeing. They know it is different from commercial chocolate, but when asked what actually makes it “ceremonial,” the answer is often difficult to put into words.

And I understand why, because perhaps we have been asking the wrong question.

Instead of asking, “What is ceremonial cacao?” perhaps we could ask,

“How do we enter into right relationship with cacao?”

If we are speaking purely about the product itself, the answer is quite straightforward. Traditional cacao is one ingredient.

The cacao bean is fermented, dried, roasted and stone-ground into a rich paste. That paste is then formed into blocks that can be grated or chopped, or, as we offer at Living Koko, prepared in a grated form ready to share.

There is no internationally recognised certification known as “ceremonial grade cacao.” The term is not regulated like organic or fair trade. Different growers, makers and communities may use it differently.

But ceremony has never lived inside a certification. 😉

 

Beyond the Cup: Understanding Vā

Within our Samoan worldview, ceremony was never simply about preparing a cup of koko. It is, and always has been, about the vā.

Vā is often translated as “the space between,” but that translation barely scratches the surface. Vā is not an empty space. It is the sacred relationship that connects all living things. It is the relationship between tagata (people) and fanua (land), between la’au (trees and plants), moana (the ocean), fetu (stars/cosmos), our ancestors and each other.

Vā reminds us that we do not stand above nature. We belong within it.

The relationship with cacao begins long before the bean is harvested. It begins with understanding the land so intimately that there is little need for words. You observe the winds, the rains, the changing seasons and the movement of the fetu. You learn to notice the soil, the insects, the birds and the rhythms that tell you when to act and when to simply wait.

The cacao tree is never alone.

It grows in relationship with the vegetation surrounding it. Each plant contributes something: shade, nourishment, protection, pollination or balance. To care for cacao is to care for the entire ecosystem that sustains it.

There is an unspoken conversation between tagata and fanua – between people and the land. As caretakers listen before we take. We give back as much as we receive. This reciprocity is what sustains both the land and ourselves.

Our ancestors also understood that the fetu were teachers. The stars, the moon, the winds and the seasons were not separate from daily life; they were woven into it. Knowledge was carried through careful observation, story, song, movement and practice over countless generations.

This understanding of vā was never reserved for special occasions…It was lived every day.

 

So, Is Living Koko Ceremonial Cacao?

If you are asking whether our cacao is a whole cacao product made with respect for the bean and without unnecessary processing, then yes.

If you are asking whether it comes from relationships with farmers, families, culture and land that have been nurtured over generations, then absolutely.

But if the question is whether ceremony somehow exists inside the cacao itself, I would gently offer another perspective.

The ceremony is not contained within the product.

The ceremony lives within relationships.

It lives in the hands that plant the tree.

The patience of those who tend it.

The wisdom that understands the land.

The gratitude offered before the harvest.

The respect shown to the people who grew it.

The intention carried by the person preparing the cup.

The presence of those who gather to share it.

The cup simply becomes a meeting place for those relationships.

So…For me, the most important question is no longer,

“Is this ceremonial cacao?”

It is,

“How are we honouring this cacao?”

Are we acknowledging the farmers?

Are we recognising the land that nourished it?

Are we approaching it with gratitude instead of consumption?

Are we entering into vā?

Long before cacao became part of modern wellness culture, it already carried stories.

Stories of our lands, Stories of our people, Stories of our resilience, Stories of our reciprocity.

Perhaps that is what ceremony has always been – Not something we create – But something we remember.

Every cup of cacao is an invitation to remember our place within the living relationships that sustain us – to the fanua, to the fetu, to one another, and to the generations who have cared for this knowledge before us.

For us at Living Koko, that is what we honour every time we share our koko.

Mata’ali’i: When the Ancestors Return

Mata’ali’i: When the Ancestors Return

by | Jul 11, 2026 | Events, Wellness Blogs, Wellness Event

Across the Pacific, we look to the night sky and see more than stars.

In Aotearoa they are known as Matariki. In Hawai’i, Makali’i. In Samoa, Matali’i.

The rising of this sacred cluster marks the beginning of a new season. A time to gather, to remember those who came before us, to give thanks for the harvest, and to prepare for what lies ahead. For generations, our Pacific ancestors read the stars as a calendar, a compass and a reminder that we are never separate from the land, the ocean or each other.

At Living Koko, Mata’ali’i is deeply personal.

It is a time when I think of my grandfather, Laulu Sesole John Stanley, and the stories he carried. His chiefly title, his wisdom, and the generations before him remind me that we are only temporary custodians of something much greater than ourselves.

Our family’s history with cacao stretches back more than 200 years, across Samoa and Togo. For generations, our family has grown, nurtured and been connected to cacao across continents, carrying with us not only the knowledge of cultivation, but the understanding that cacao is a gift meant to bring people together. Every harvest reminds us that we are part of a story much larger than ourselves – one rooted in ancestry, stewardship and the enduring connection between people, land and spirit.

 

Laulu Asiata John Sesole Stanley (Grandpa) and Fofogali’i Lilly Grey-Stanley (Grandma)

Some of my favourite memories are the stories my uncle, Sale (Joe Stanley), would share with Mum and me. He would laugh as he told us that one of his jobs on the plantation was to delegate the work of vele le vau—clearing the weeds and tending the cacao trees. Then, with a cheeky smile and a sideways glance that always let us know a good story was coming, he’d confess that he gave everyone else the biggest sections of the plantation to weed while he kept the smallest patch for himself. That way, he’d finish first and disappear, off to ga’a – off on his own adventures.

We would all laugh, but beneath the humour was a reminder of life on the plantation. Every family member had a role. Every tree was cared for by hand. The work was shared, the stories were shared, and those moments – of hard work, laughter and family – became just as much a part of our cacao heritage as the harvest itself.

 

Ulugia Sale (Charles) Joseph Stanley

In 2023, I was deeply honoured to receive my chiefly title, Lolopō. I accepted it with humility, knowing it was not simply an honour but a responsibility—one that I will spend a lifetime growing into. It strengthened my commitment to serve not only my own family, but every family our cacao connects with: the farmers who nurture it, the hands that craft it, and the communities who gather around a shared cup. Like Matali’i itself, it reminds me that we are part of something much greater than ourselves, and that our role is to care for what has been entrusted to us so future generations may flourish.

When we prepare cacao, we are continuing a tradition of gathering people together. Around the Pacific, food and ceremony have always gone hand in hand. We share stories, remember our ancestors, strengthen relationships and give thanks for another season. Cacao has become our vessel for those same moments of connection.

Matali’i also reminds us to pause.

To reflect on the year that has passed.
To honour those who are no longer with us.
To celebrate the people walking beside us today.
And to plant seeds—both in the soil and in our hearts—for the future generations who will one day tell our stories.

As the stars rise once again, we offer our deepest gratitude to our family, our farmers, our customers and our wider Living Koko community. Thank you for walking this journey with us and for helping keep these traditions alive.

May the season of Mataali’i bring you rest, renewal and the courage to begin again.

Ia manuia le vaitau o Mataali’i

Lolopō Cyprian Fruean-Posesione (Cousin), Lucia Henrietta Phoebe Preuss (mum) Lolopō Phoebe Preuss (me)