Since 2003 coffee and cacao farmers of Oaxaca and Chiapas have used the Helios technology to roast their grains, permitting them to sell at a higher price than if they sold raw. They can also now purify water and cook without burning any wood.

Based on the Hélios prototype, it was the motivation of the Oaxacan community along with a few Canadians who developed the idea of spreading the technique freely. The Mexicans called these contraptions "Fuego Solar". It took 5 years to adapt the machine to the needs of the region. The effecient roasting of cocoa developed in 2004, Mike Sacco and Graham Corbet had the idea to import the cocoa to Canada and so created the Chocosol cooperative (Mexican cocoa growers, Canadian artisan chocolate makers, cooperation with the Universidad de la Tierra).

Organic Chocolate, Mexico
"Chocosol produces about 260 kg of solar, organic choclates every year. The cooperative of 15 people was started in 2004 and exclu- sivly uses a solar reflector called „Fuego Solar“ for roasting the ca- cao beans and other ingredients like peanuts. The roasting season is 8 to 9 months a year. Chocosol organic chocolates and Tejate, a traditional chocolate drink, are sold at the market in Oaxaca."
From Solar Food Processing publ. by ISES (International Solar Energy Society)