Our story

How it all began...

It all started in India. The cashew nuts tasted so good that the idea of trading in cashew nuts arose from the enjoyment. Today, the idea is the basis of the Pakka Group, based in Zurich. Pakka has grown organically like the nuts themselves. The company was founded on June 3, 2006 by Ueli Baruffol and Balz Strasser.

The beginnings were very private. Pakka was a family business in the truest sense of the word. The living room table at home became the production line. The first bags of valuable seeds were packed and delivered with the support of the whole family.

In 2014, the strategic focus was generally expanded to include nuts and nut value chains. Chocolate fruit and chocolate nuts, chocolate, coconut oil and dried fruit were added to the nuts.
 

As the company has grown, its current structure has crystallized. Our four business divisions cover the entire value chain of our products:

  1. Pakka Foundation
  2. Pakka Finance AG
  3. Biodina SA 
  4. Pakka (Products) AG 

Starting with consulting (1) and pre-financing (2) for local farmers' cooperatives, through trading in raw materials and semi-finished products (3) to the sale of our own premium brand Pakka (4). 

The development until today

2006
The birth of Pakka
  • Foundation of Pakka GmbH
    Focus on branded nut products for the retail trade

2007
A new Pakka entity is added
  • Foundation of Pakka Trade AG
    Focus on projects and raw material trade
2011
The merger
  • Merger of Pakka GmbH and Pakka Trade AG to form Pakka AG


2012
Winner "Swiss Ethics Award
2014
Pakka is growing and specializing...
  • Spin-off of raw materials trading to the EU in diract sourcing GmbH
  • Spin-off of investment and finance business to meeewaert holding AG
  • Operational management at Pakka AG now by Managing Director Tom von Euw. Ueli Baruffol leads the raw materials & finance business.
2017
The product range grows
  • The fair Pakka Santa Claus bag enriches the Pakka product range as a campaign product.
2018
A new Pakka entity is added
  • Establishment of the Pakka Foundation

The partners are strengthened
  • Ueli Baruffol spends a year in Colombia with his family and supports the development of the local partner companies Equiori, KardiaNuts & Fruandes.
2019
Unified appearance of the Pakka entities
  • Unification of the company names. Meeewaert Holding AG is renamed Pakka Finance AG and diract sourcing is renamed Pakka Sourcing. The group now appears with the specialized entities Pakka Foundation, Pakka Finance, Pakka Sourcing and Pakka Products.

The product range continues to grow
  • Pakka expands the range with chocolate, coconut oil and dried fruits
2020
The product range continues to grow
  • Pakka launches the first vegan cashew fondue

A new member of the Pakka family
  • Renaming of Anka Fairtrade Ltd. to Pakka Georgia

2021
Pakka celebrates anniversary
  • Pakka celebrates its 15th anniversary
2022
Pakka continues to grow and specialize
  • Merger of the raw materials business (Pakka Sourcing GmbH) with BioPartner and EcorNaturaSi into Biodina AG, based in Schlieren.