Twelve years in cocoa: developing sustainability programmes for traders and chocolate companies, buying and selling beans, building and running my own ventures, and creating new markets around cocoa by-products. I’ve seen a lot of the cocoa & chocolate sector!
Moving Cocoa is where I write about my experiences and share my insights. Read about my columns, download free resources, or reach me for press, panels or a good conversation.
Moving Cocoa is a platform where I share and contribute to the cocoa sector from experience across origin, entrepreneurship and supply chains.
I engage in conversations on sourcing, environmental and social challenges, governance, innovation and long term value creation. Sometimes this takes the form of advisory roles or strategic assignments, sometimes interviews, panels or sector dialogue.
I love writing! I have a fixed column for CocoaRadar, and I write blogs and resources here on sourcing, regulation, entrpreneurship and more. pricing and cocoa by-products.
I join panels, interviews and sector conversations on cocoa, entrepreneurship and supply chains. I'm most useful when there's a real question on the table.
Journalists and editors: I'm glad to comment on cocoa, innovation, chocolate, supply chain and related topics. Mail me and I'll come back quickly.
Investor, researcher, (ex) founder or simply curious? Do reach out to see if we can work together.
Of course I also need to be mindful of how I spend my time. What I'm not taking on at the moment: big operational projects, sourcing brokerage or troubleshooting.
I ran Pacha de Cacao for six years: cacao pulp from farmers in Ecuador, the part of the harvest that usually gets washed away, turned into drinks sold across Europe and the US. In April 2026 I closed the company, on my own terms. It’s been an adventure of a lifetime, good and bad.
I wrote down what those six years taught me about building, scaling and closing a business. Eleven honest lessons, including the ones I learned the hard way. If you care about entrepreneurship, this is gold. And free. Leave your email and it lands in your inbox.
Pacha de Cacao was a circular cocoa company in Amsterdam, working across Latin America, the US and Europe. We bought cacao pulp in Ecuador, normally thrown away, and turned it into drinks for consumers. When we started we were among the first. By the time we stopped, there were at least fifty. Read what I think is the right way forward for up-cycling companies on CocoaRadar, or download my handbook below for the founder lessons I wish I’d read before I started.
In depth briefs and practical tools drawn from real projects and field experience, ready for download.
Structural insights into pricing, risk exposure and power dynamics in cocoa supply chains. Focused on long term market shifts rather than short term volatility.
Exploring data ownership, governance and digital systems in cocoa. From farm level data to EU regulation and supply chain transparency.
Business models and practical conditions under which cocoa by products create real economic value and supply chain resilience.
Building, scaling and closing a cocoa business, in eleven honest lessons. Free. Leave your email and it lands in your inbox.
An eight-page guide to cacao’s two biggest by-products. What pulp and husk are made of, what they can become, how big the market is, and what stands in the way.
An EU Horizon project (2024 to 2025) with Pacha de Cacao, Wageningen and the Czech University of Life Sciences. We tested handheld NIR scanners, build a software application giving farmers more control of their data. What we built, what we learned, and what’s next.
“I’ve known Marika for about ten years and have seen her grow through every stage of the cocoa and chocolate chain. Her energy, consistency and understanding of both farmers and markets make her stand out. The cocoa sector is in a time where professionalisation and transparency are crucial, and through alliances with people like Marika we can create real, lasting impact. She connects ideas with action – and people with purpose.”
“I had the opportunity to collaborate with Marika on two projects focused on cacao pulp and the digitalisation of cacao features to enhance ethical traceability, transparency and efficiency across the cacao value chain. Marikas comprehensive understanding of the cacao value chain and her strong ability to identify and integrate the needs of all stakeholders, from farmers to consumers was of great value for the projects. Her strength lies in connecting people and organisations, fostering collaboration, and translating expertise into meaningful impact.”
“I had the opportunity to collaborate with Marika on two projects focused on cacao pulp and the digitalisation of cacao features to enhance ethical traceability, transparency and efficiency across the cacao value chain. Marikas comprehensive understanding of the cacao value chain and her strong ability to identify and integrate the needs of all stakeholders, from farmers to consumers was of great value for the projects. Her strength lies in connecting people and organisations, fostering collaboration, and translating expertise into meaningful impact.”
I write about the structural shifts shaping cocoa. From sourcing and regulation to pricing dynamics, governance and circular value creation. These reflections connect field reality with long term supply strategy.
