Pitaya Foods: Cultivating Impact Through Organic E-Commerce
Pitaya Foods is a purpose-driven brand on a mission to bring ethically sourced, USDA Organic dragon fruit (pitahaya) to global markets while empowering Nicaraguan farming communities. Founded by Chuck Casano after his NGO work exposed him to the fruit’s potential, the company partners with small-scale farmers to achieve organic certification and provides stable employment for over 170 single mothers in rural Nicaragua. In 2022, Pitaya Foods approached us to transform their grassroots operations into a scalable e-commerce platform. The challenge: design a Shopify store that educated consumers about pitahaya’s benefits, highlighted the brand’s social impact, and streamlined bulk orders for health-conscious retailers and smoothie cafes.
Clients:
Pitaya Food
Services:
Website Design
Date:
03 July 2022
Category:
Web Design, E-commerce
Location:
Nicaragua
Key Design Elements
To mirror Pitaya Foods’ farm-to-table ethos, we built the site around visceral storytelling. A hero video looped farmers harvesting ripe dragon fruit at sunrise, while an interactive map showcased Nicaragua’s certified organic farms. Product pages included “Impact Metrics” (e.g., “1 bag = 2 hours of fair wages for Maria, a single mother in Matagalpa”) alongside recipes and nutritional guides.
Functionality focused on community-driven commerce. We added a wholesale portal for bulk buyers, a subscription model for repeat customers (20% discount), and a “Farm Stories” blog series. A muted green-and-pink color scheme evoked the fruit’s natural vibrancy without overshadowing its humanitarian mission. The mobile-optimized design catered to health-focused millennials, with Instagram Shoppable tags driving 45% of traffic.
Project Goals
Amplify social impact by educating consumers about how purchases directly support Nicaraguan farmers and single mothers. Simplify bulk purchasing through intuitive wholesale ordering systems while maintaining brand integrity.
Build consumer trust through transparent USDA Organic certification displays and supply chain visibility. Achieved through real-time impact tracking dashboards and SEO-optimized educational content positioning Pitaya Foods as an industry leader.
Project Results
Since launch, Pitaya Foods’ Shopify store has driven $2.3M in revenue, with 30% reinvested into farmer training programs. The platform facilitated certification for 200+ additional farms and created 85 new jobs for single mothers.
- $2.3M Revenue Generated with 30% Reinvested in Farmer Training
- 120% Wholesale Growth & 90% Organic Traffic Increase
- 200+ Organic Farms Certified & 85 New Jobs Created
Client testimonial: “This site isn’t just a store—it’s a bridge between Nicaraguan farms and global kitchens. The team turned our values into a visual language that resonates worldwide.” – Chuck Casano, Founder
