First Look: The New “Certified Ceremonial Cacao” Trademark | #PSC 236
OVERVIEW: Episode 236 of #PodSaveChocolate takes a First Look/Hot Take at the newly announced Certified Ceremonial Cacao certification trademark – what it is, and what it isn‘t.
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Episode 236
A couple of weeks ago, someone in Instagram contacted me about a new ceremonial cacao initiative: Certified Ceremonial Cacao®.
Regular viewers of PodSaveChocolate will know of some of my recent coverage of ceremonial cacao, specifically debunking Maïa and Naturalistico.
Clay Gordon
Maïa
Clay Gordon
Naturalistico
This episode will not be a debunking.
Rather, it’s a conidered examination for what the certifications claims are – and what is not being claimed.
The TL;DR: This effort appears to be an earnest, honest effort to provide clarity to a segment of the market that is clouded by conflicting claims and, unfortunately, populated by some (to me) less-than-honest actors.
To prepare for this episode I read the Certified Ceremonial Cacao website carefully (several times over a week) comparing what is on the home page with what is on the FAQ, Certified Products, and Blog pages. I also examined relevant USPTO and IRS documents. Finally, I reached out to the founder with a set of questions I had after that research.
The answers to my questions demonstrated an openness and willingness to engage, as well as exposing the care and thought given to the issues at hand.
That does not mean I don’t have more questions – but I don’t sell ceremonial cacao products. So, I will raise some questions that I think need more complete answers that – if you’re interested in this certification – you will want answers to before you apply.
The trademark application. A trademark search.
A regular trademark identifies the source of the owner's own goods. The owner uses it, builds a brand around it, and can sell products under it.
A certification mark is the obverse. The owner may not use it on their own goods. Its job is to tell consumers that other people's goods meet a standard, whether for origin, materials, methods, or quality.
Three consequences follow. The owner must be a neutral certifier, not a competitor. The owner must license the mark to anyone who meets the standard and can't refuse arbitrarily. And a certifier that produces the goods or discriminates can lose the registration (15 U.S.C. §1064(5)).
What is the makeup of the Certifying Board?
The Certified Ceremonial Cacao® Association was founded by Nick Meador, founder of Soul Lift Cacao.
Maya Moon Cacao is the Founding Licensee – the first brand approved to use the certification logo on their products.
Nick and Maura collaborated to create the standards, with the help of students at the University of San Francisco Law Clinic, and in consultation with indigenous elders and tribal representatives in cultures that have pre-Hispanic cacao heritage and existing spiritual or ceremonial traditions involving cacao. Elders were consulted in Mexico (Yokot'an Maya), Guatemala (K'iche' and Kaqchikel Maya), and Costa Rica (BriBri).
“Ceremonial cacao wasn't a term used historically. But it has meaning to a growing number of people around the world who are connecting with cacao in a deeper way.
“Yet popular ideas about ceremonial cacao are filled with myths and misconceptions. This certification offers one pathway to clarity for the modern ceremonial cacao movement, by bringing the focus on where the cacao is grown and prepared and who is involved.
“Certified Ceremonial Cacao® promises more transparency around the methods of growing and preparing cacao that run back thousands of years in the indigenous cultures of Latin America.”
Legal registrations.
(Extended discussion in the episode on this and related topics.)
“Starting out the application fee is $50 and, if approved, the annual licens[e] fee is an additional $250. But both fees are waived for the remainder of 2026, to help get the program going.”
Based on IRS filings, the Certified Ceremonial Cacao Association is a registered 501(c)(3) under section 509(a)(2), which sets limits on the amount (quantity and dollar total) of donations and grants the Association can receive – the bulk of income must come from licensing and related (e.g., service) fees.
One question to ask: how large is the universe of companies who a) qualify to apply, and b) will apply?
Question: “[The] Certifying board will annually publish a minimum price that a cacao farm is to be paid per pound of dried cacao seeds." How will the board determine what that price is? Will it be the same price for every country?”
From the 2026 FINANCIAL STANDARDS blog post.
Things to consider
(Extended discussion in the episode on this and related topics.)
Future Episodes
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