Our Story

Nor Meets Tico

Nortico Cacao Farm is a family project uniting an experienced cacao connoisseur from Costa Rica and a sustainability enthusiast from Norway. NOR represents Norway, and TICO reflects the friendly people of Costa Rica.

A Note From the Farmers & Founders

Nortico is more than just a farm; it's our life project and a fusion of two worlds where Nordic innovation meets Latin-American hospitality and care for its natural history.

Our vision is to reactivate the sustainable production of Fine Flavour Cacao in Costa Rica, while educating the world what it takes to make real chocolate respecting the terroir & traditions in the countries of origin!

With Gratitude,

Ann-Elin & Aldo

Founders & Farmers

Our Journey

From Dream to Sustainable Reality

Nortico Cacao Farm began in 2011 when founders Ann-Elin & Aldo met at CATIE, united by a passion for environmental protection and sustainable agriculture. In 2016, they purchased deforested and abandoned land in Turrialba and transformed it into a thriving agroforestry system. By 2019, their efforts yielded the first cacao harvest and in December the same year they received their first visitors.

The 2020 pandemic spurred innovation and the Nortico brand with its logo was officially registrered and the couple started to play with the idea of craft chocolate production. After months working with design, refining recipes, production and packaging, Nortico chocolates were ready for sale, both nationally and internationally by December 2020.

Sustainability took center stage in 2022 with eco-efficiency upgrades, earning Bandera Azul recognition in 2023.

In 2024, through the Soil Alliance, Nortico leads local farmers in transitioning to organic farming, ensuring a future of sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship.

Aldo Sánchez

Aldo has been linked to the cultivation of cacao since his early childhood, remembering his great grandmother bringing the tradition of cacao from Jamaica. His interest in conservation and sustainable food production led him to studies in Agronomy and Natural Resource Management, followed by a Master in Agribusiness Management – always with an emphasis on cacao. He claims that once familiarized with this wonderful and mystical fruit it is hard to leave!
Aldo worked as a researcher for more than 10 years in CATIE, an International Research Center with the second biggest collection of cacao in the world, before adventuring into the world of entrepreneurship with Nortico Cacao Farm.
“Nortico Cacao Farm is like my personal playground where I get to put the theory and science into real world experiments. We grow carefully selected varieties of Fine Cacao in combination with other plants and trees, providing a sustainable system for both people and planet! I love to share my experience and knowledge about cacao, whether it be a more scientific approach with agronomy students, researchers and farmers to visitors and travelers who want to see and taste a cacao fruit for the very first time and learn where chocolate comes from.”

Ann-Elin

Ann-Elin was born and raised in Norway, and has traveled most of the world before landing in Costa Rica in 2011 where she fell in love with both the country and her husband and co-founder Aldo. She is a strong believer in regenerative tourism and continues to explore and connect to understand more of a complex world. Ann-Elin has an undergraduate degree in Sustainable Tourism Management and a MSc in International Relations. Her drive is to combine environmental policies with sustainable and educational tourism practices, which is exactly what we do at Nortico Cacao Farm.
Ann-Elin & Aldo have two young daughters together, Anna & Adina. Both girls are born and raised in Costa Rica.
Ann-Elin started her own business at age 24, and when not at the farm she organizes and leads trips and workshops mainly focused on education, adventure or personal development. You can read more about her other business here! (link to more info about Nortico Travel and its services)