Mod 6 Assignment Taza Chocolate Taza Chocolate, a small Massachusettsbased manufacturer of stoneground organic chocolate made in the classic Mexican tradition, sells most of its products to retailers, wholesalers, and distributors throughout the United States. Individual customers around the world can also buy Taza chocolate bars, baking squares, chocolate-covered nuts, and other specialty items directly from Taza at the company's website. If they live in Somerville, Massachusetts, they might even find a Taza employee riding a "ch0c0cycle,' selling products and distributing samples at an upscale food truck festival or open market on a weekend. With a staff of about 20 people, Taza sources all of its ingredients directly from certified organic growers with whom the company cultivates a personal relationship. \"Because our process here at the factory is so minimal," says the company's director of sales, "it's really important that we get a very highquality ingredient. The cocoa beans are the most important. When we source those, we pay a premium above even fair trade prices. We call it direct trade. To make sure that we're getting the absolute cream of the crop, we have a direct facetoface human relationship between us and the actual farmer that's producing those beans." The company believes that dealing directly with its suppliers is the best business model for Taza as a small firm not only because it allows the company to meet its social responsibility goals but also because it ensures quality, which commands a premium price. "We're a premium brand," says the director of sales, and because of