Living Koko

Living Koko returns to The Good Marketplace, treating us to their luscious food, beverage and body care products made from ethically sourced organic cacao. Living Koko works closely with local and pacific-based organisations to understand the ways they can support local vulnerable communities through ethical trade and event sponsorship.

We caught up with co-founder Phoebe to learn more about Living Koko’s story and mission.

Hi Phoebe! Tell us a bit about yourself and Living Koko.

Hello my name is Phoebe (Fipe) I’m a Cacao Cultivator, Creative, Artist and Activist.

Co-founder of Living Koko a no waste, solar powered cacao/chocolate manufacturing that creates bean to bar chocolates, ceremonial grade drinking cacao and a skin care range made from cacao.

I started Living Koko with my husband Glen Reiss, as we wanted to support food sovereignty in the Pacific while making delicious cacao creations that are great for your mind and body.  I come from a long lineage of cacao cultivators and exporters - indigenous cultivation of our lands and ensuring rural economic opportunities are created is really important to me.

What are you passionate about?

Understanding of kincentric relationships between us and natural resources is something I am really passionate about. Cacao, cacao cultivation and my other underwater adventure identities help me explore those with a curious mindset. Growing up with our indigenous creation stories connected to natural resources gives us an intimate relationship with these spaces and an activism mindset as we want to also protect our lands too.

What does ethical consumerism mean to you?

Understanding the whakapapa (genealogy) of your foods and products.  Knowing that what you are purchasing is supporting communities and not keeping them in poverty and or creating spaces that need modern slavery to be sustainable.

It’s also understanding when enough is enough and connecting to products and foods that support your system and way of life.

Describe your perfect day!

Waking up - going for a bike ride or work out and ending my morning with an ocean swim.  Spending time with my family and then making a big fresh food dish and having a nap in the sun.

I had my most perfect morning in this September back in Samoa.  I swam about 200m offshore around 5am to place myself directly under the moon then together we watched the sunrise.

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Come support Eden at the One Good Christmas Market:

Date/Time: Thursday 7th December, 4 - 9pm

Location: 184 Surrey Rd, Blackburn VIC 3130, Australia

FREE Entry