…real challenges faced in the effort to make cocoa sustainable.

via The Slow Melt op Instagram: “Sako Warren talks about seemingly simple but very real challenges faced in the effort to make cocoa sustainable. • • “Simran, I’m talking…” • Instagram

 

Rigorously Sustainable Original Beans

Original Beans Edel Weiss 40% (white chocolate)

Organic white chocolate without vanilla. Cacao from the Yuna River Valley, Dominican Republic.

Rich notes of banana milk and cacao butter.

Original Beans are one of the most sustainable chocolate producers on the planet. For every one bar of their chocolate sold, one tree is planted.

Ingredients: direct trade cacao butter, raw cane sugar, whole milk.

Soy and gluten free. 100% organic.

Rainforests provide not only the delicious diversity of cacaos, but also most other biodiversity and freshwater, and a global climate system. Original Beans way of preserving them is its purest form. The fresh fruit from a fine cacao tree tastes heavenly. Can you distinguish those flavours in this chocolate?

White chocolate is milk chocolate without cacao solids -and usually without character. To offer you an exceptionally delicious white chocolate, this bar focuses on pure essentials: butter of a delicate Trinitario cacao from the Yuna River Valley (Dominican Republic), and milk from a Swiss alp. With no vanilla and lecithin added, a surprisingly pure chocolate moment is revealed.

 

 

Antwoord van Marou. Wat weet je van de cacaoboeren? – Chocoladeverkopers

Bron: Antwoord van Marou. Wat weet je van de cacaoboeren? – Chocoladeverkopers

 

To’ak, The World’s Most Exclusive Dark Chocolate, Debuts — CHICAGO, Dec. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ —

Bron: To’ak, The World’s Most Exclusive Dark Chocolate, Debuts — CHICAGO, Dec. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ —

 

Why Does Your Chocolate Taste So Bad?

New efforts by the chocolate industry are aimed at giving cacao beans the cachet of wine grapes.

Bron: Why Does Your Chocolate Taste So Bad?

 

Forest for a living

Forest for A Living

is the product of a collaborative effort brought to fruition by a suite of forward-thinking institutions, each dedicated to the development of concrete solutions that address the reality of current conservation challenges. While we officially got off the ground in 2012, the seed for this work began evolving in 2003 through a largely self-propelling participatory process that involved dozens of stakeholders from campesino to scientist to government authority.

http://www.forestforaliving.org-SD

https://www.facebook.com/forestforaliving

 

COCOA PLANTATIONS IN BAHIA

Volgens historici werd cacao gecultiveerd door de Indianen, vooral de Azteken in Mexico en de Maya’s in Centraal Amerika. Cacao, cacahualt genoemd, werd als heilig beschouwd en zijn zaden waren zo waardevol werden ze zelfs gebruikt als betaalmiddel.

DOCUMENTARY FILMED IN THE TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN REGION OF COCOA PLANTATIONS IN BAHIA, BRAZIL, FILMED BY JOURNALISTS AND FILMMAKERS MASTERS OF NYFA – NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY, FOR THE PURPOSE TO PRESENTES THIS REALITY FOR THE WORLD, DURING THE RIO +20. – UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE, IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL ON JUNE 2012.

COCOA PLANTATIONS IN BAHIA  click link to see the film

 

For the first time I’m savouring “fine, organic and fair”chocolate from Ghana.

Thanks to a special friend: Sepp Schoenbachler.

Felchlin has processed cacao from Ghana, West Africa for many years. Until recently, it was impossible to acquire the cacao beans directly from the producers. The project Yayra Glover has enabled us to eliminate this problem and allow us to guarantee the origin of our cacao beans from Ghana, therby specifying traceability to the origin.

Ghana Cocoa-of-origin

The history of cocoa in Ghana
The fist missionaries from the Basle Mission were sent to the then Gold Coast, today’s
Ghana, in the year 1828. According to the story, these missionaries, who were working together
with Tetteh Quarshie, brought cocoa into the country. Around 1870, the Ghanaian
Tetteh Quarshie worked for a few years on an island in the Gulf of Guinea. The island, on
which cocoa was already grown, was a Spanish colony. Despite the strict prohibition, Tetteh
Quarshie succeeded in smuggling a few cocoa beans into his homeland on his return to
Ghana and successfully raised cocoa plants from them. The Spanish-Portuguese cocoa monopoly
was thereby broken, and the valuable beans found their way to Africa.

The importance of cocoa in Ghana today
Ghana is the second largest export country for cocoa in the world. For the last 60 years, all
the cocoa grown in Ghana had to be sold to the “Ghana Cocoa Board”. This government organisation
controlled and marketed all the cocoa, either for export or for domestic use (local
processors). The raw material cocoa is one of the main sources of foreign exchange for Ghana
and is therefore of enormous importance.

The Yayra Glover Company and its vision
According to the vision of the Ghanaian Yayra Glover, cocoa production in Ghana should be
realigned in the future. His company wants to cultivate and market the cocoa from the entire
Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar district in line with both, organic and Fairtrade guidelines. And all of
this with the active support of Swiss agronomists.

In doing this, Yayra Glover trains and informs the farmers about local, regional, national and
even international topics. Important issues such as child labour, organic food, natural plant
protection and sustainable agriculture are thereby central. However, in addition, the people
should also be given the means and the opportunities to themselves bring about changes in
their own lives.

He also sees his task as being the general improvement of the well-being of the farmers and
their families by means of smaller social research activities. Students from universities have
the opportunity to work for agricultural communities, to collect data and to create practical
recommendations that can be implemented at the local level in order to raise the prosperity
of the population.

Through tireless work, Yayra Glover succeeded in convincing the “Ghana Cocoa Board”
about his project. He is thereby the first person who is able to sell his cocoa directly to his
customers, of course with the support and approval of the Cocoa Board.

Cocoa from the Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar district, Ghana
The Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar district, from which Felchlin now obtains its Ghanaian cocoa,
lies on the southern edge of a large forest area, 60 km north-west of the capital city Accra.
Coastal savannah extends towards the south, while the Aburi chain of hills forms a natural
border to the east, with the protected Attewa forest to the north-west. The entire district is
relatively hilly, with flat valleys intersected by rivers and streams.

Yayra Glover, a Ghanaian with strong ties to Switzerland, is the founder of the project “Suhum Cacao”. He studied and worked in Switzerland for many years and his family still lives here. His vision is to cultivate cacao in the Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar district under the organic and Fairtrade certification labels. In this way, he hopes to support his countrymen by producing a premium quality cacao that would secure their future financial existence.

The cacao cultivation incorporates an area of approximately 6’500 ha, which involves around 2’600 small cacao farmers. After long negotiations, Yayra Glover convinced the Ghana Cacao Board of his project. His efforts have born fruit and he is the first, except for the Ghana government, who is authorised by the Cacao Board to sell cacao from the Suhum district to Felchlin Switzerland.

Main harvest
October – January

The cacao beans from Ghana are primarly blended with other cacao beans and used in Felchlin Switzerland Surfine and Classic couvertures.

Cru Suhum 40% flavour profile: the balanced cacao flavour leads to a harmonius play of fresh milk with a nuance of caramel. The finish begins with a pleasant malt note to be completed with a mild marzipan flavour.

Cru Suhum 60% flavour profile: the aroma experience of Cru Suhum couverture is distinguished by a harmonius cacao flavour enrobing the strong coffee note. The slow, traditional processing method allows the fruity, sweet pineapple flavour to develop. The finish is complimented through a nuance of dried pear encased in a sustained black tea flavour.

 

Internationale en prijswinnende chocolademakers op het Origin Chocolate Event in het Tropeninstituut.

Chocoladeliefhebbers en fijnproevers kunnen hun smaakpapillen weer strelen tijdens dit unieke evenement rondom origine chocolade. Op 23 oktober 2013 zal voor het tweede jaar het Origin Chocolate Event plaatsvinden in het Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen in Amsterdam.

Chocolade: van snoepgoed tot volwassen product

De opkomst van de kleinschalige chocolademakers heeft het product chocolade op een hoger niveau gebracht. Deze chocolademakers verwerken bijzondere variëteiten cacaobonen tot chocolades en weten de meer dan 700 aroma’s in dit complexe product optimaal tot uiting te brengen. Zij behoren tot de prijswinnaars van de gerenommeerde ‘Academy of Chocolate’ en de ‘International Chocolate Awards’.

Werd chocolade voorheen als snoep gezien, hier ervaart u chocolades die zich kunnen meten met de beste soorten koffie en wijnen. Op dit evenement presenteert de crème de la crème van de chocoladewereld haar chocolades en de boeiende verhalen erachter. Onder andere Ecuador, Vietnam en Madagaskar zijn vertegenwoordigd maar ook Kees Raat uit Amsterdam. U proeft zoete en hartige chocolate tapas, de mooiste foodpairings met wijnen, speciaalbieren en thee. Er worden Masterclasses gegeven en Het NH Tropen Hotel biedt tegen een prijs van 39,50 een 3-gangen chocolade diner aan in een van haar prachtige zalen.

Kortom, een evenement waarvan u verrijkt en verkwikt door de theobromine huiswaarts keert.

Waarom het Origin Chocolate Event?

Erik Sauër, importeur van origine chocolades en medeorganisator van het Origin Chocolate Event: ”Origine chocolades zijn gemaakt van cacaobonen uit één specifieke regio, soms zelfs van één specifieke soort. Dit zijn échte streekproducten, met een eigen smaakpallet, die zich onderscheiden van de reguliere chocolades.

Deze chocolades zijn relatief nieuw op de markt en wij willen fijnproevers en chocoladeliefhebbers hiermee bekend maken.

Wat valt er te beleven?

Presentaties en proeverijen van ’s werelds bekendste chocolademakers: Santiago Peralta (Pacari), Bertil Akesson (Akessons), Vincent Mourou & Samuel Maruta (Marou), Philipp Kauffmann (Original Beans), Sepp Schönbächler (Felchlin), Niklaus Blumer en Pascal Wirth (Idilio), Diego Badaro (Amma) en Mikkel Friis Holm (Friis Holm).

Bijzondere ontmoetingen met de meest vooraanstaande chocolade experts ter wereld: Martin Christy (Seventy% Club en International Chocolate Awards), Maricel Presilla (Gran Cacao, chefkok, schrijfster), Clay Gordon (oprichter van http://www.thechocolatelife.com), Anna Laven (cacao expert Royal Tropical Institute).

Verleidende proeverijen van bijzondere cacaosoorten en verfijnde chocolade door o.a. Chocoweb (www.chocoweb.nl) en chocoladewinkel Chocolátl

Exclusieve culinaire hoogstandjes van toppatissiers en chocolatiers: Kees Raat (Metropolitan Deli), Geert Vercruysse (Patisserie Vercruysse) en Alexandre Bellion (Chocolaterie Alexandre).

Wijn-, bier-, whisky- en spijscombinaties met origine chocolade.

Een exclusief ‘origine chocolade’ diner met een bijpassend wijnarrangement.

—————————————————————————————————

Meer informatie over tijden, sprekers en tickets op http://www.originchocolate.eu

Meer over Origin Chocolate

Origine chocolades zijn chocolades van cacao uit een specifieke regio. Kwaliteit, duurzame concepten, biologisch en direct trade zijn kenmerken van de chocolade in deze groeiende markt. Door de beste kwaliteit cacaobonen te gebruiken en zeer veel aandacht en zorg te besteden aan het productieproces, worden de meest aromatische chocolades gecreëerd. Tijdens het evenement wordt de passie van het fijnproeven gecombineerd met het op de kaart zetten van de speciale origine chocolade.

Koninklijk instituut voor de Tropen

Het Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen (KIT) is een onafhankelijk kennisinstituut op het terrein van duurzame ontwikkeling, gezondheid, cultuur en kennisoverdracht. Het KIT helpt bedrijven, culturele instellingen, ontwikkelingsorganisaties, overheden en vele andere organisaties in binnen- en buitenland hun doelen te bereiken met hoogwaardige en bruikbare kennis. Er is er veel expertise aanwezig over duurzame cacao en de internationale cacaosector. De samenwerking met het Origin Chocolate Event is een voorbeeld van de overdracht van de ‘know how’ in de cacao industrie naar verschillende doelgroepen.

NH Hotels

NH heeft de ambitie om één van de meest maatschappelijk verantwoorde bedrijven te zijn in de gastvrijheidsindustrie. Het aanbieden van producten en gerechten met een duurzaam karakter, dat is waar NH Hotels voor gaat. Daarom steunt NH Tropen, als gastheer in het KIT, het Origin Chocolate Event.

http://www.originchocolate.eu/

 

Chocolate Forever 10 Other themes and some reflections

Certifications, training, and efforts geared at organising farmers are key approaches for mitigating the risks for supplier. But they are not the only issues, and they do not provide the ultimate supplier solution. For example, without having access to the adequate inputs (plant material, fertilizer, and pesticides) farmers will not be able to apply what they have learned. Adequate inputs have to be available and accessible at affordable prices. Only the combination of training and access to inputs will lead to inproved yields and in turn increased farmer income. Clearly this also entails costs. At the moment the industry is shoulderong a large part of these costs, but in the long run farmers will by themselves have to secure bank loans for purchasing inputs. Financing is another key theme taht is important for safeguarding the supply of produce.
These are different financing options that can be explored, of which some are already in place, for example, the company Wienco makes it possible to purchase inputs ‘inputs on credit’ in Ghana. It is worthwile to look at already existing successful initiatives and exploring other suitable (financial) institutions that can provide loans. This effort would face a number of barriers. Because cocoa producing countries (especially in West Africa) are considered as high-risk and low yield areas, financial institutions are generally not interested in investing in agriculture and providing loans to farmers. Generally speaking agriculture is risky business; farmers depend on a lot of factors for having a succesful harvest: the timing of preparing plots of land, sowing, applying inputs and harvesting are crucial, as are climate and weather. But the problem is not only related to the creditworthiness of farmers, it also has to do with the existing lack of trust that farmers have in local banks. A recent book of Royal Tropical Institute on Value Chain Finance gives a number of practical examples on how farmers that are embedded in a value chain can get access to finance.

Even if the cocoa farmer’s access to financing could be improved, there are no guarantees that the farmers will actually invest this additional income in their own farms and communities. Will they spent their money on fertilizer, irrigation systems, or will they pay of their other debts, buy a television set or spend money on entertainment? Can investments in their local community be stimulated? How can this be done? What partnerships are needed? What are the drawbacks of such initiatives?

Another issue that requires some reflection is the issue of inclusion vs. exclusion. Although the aim is to certify, train, and as many farmers as possible, it is inevitable that in the end some farmers will receive training as well as financed planting materials and fertlizers, whereas other will not. It is essential to examine the principle that will guide this decision making: Which should be preferred, the least developed areas or places where a number on conditions are met (e.g., adequate transport and training infrastructure)? Ideally, vibrant local entrepreneurs would be involved, but can they be located? What are the future expectations that such decisions evoke?

The issue of inclusion and exclusion is also relevant for looking at extent to which ‘sustainability’ is a shared agenda. Max Havelaar and TCC respond to this concern by involving farmers in multistakeholders agreements, which help them organise and also strengthen their joint voice.

Final observations: Supplier failure is one of the main drivers for industry to invest in sustainable sourcing of cocoa. Due to increase risks that cocoa farmers in the future might not be able to produce the required quantity and quality of cocoa, it becomes increasingly important to make on-farm investments. To assure that increased quantities of cocoa are available on the market, cocoa farming has to be lucrative for farmers. The main themes in this context are certification schemes, training farmers, and organising farmers. The questions posed by Dutch actors in the cocoa chain vary from vary from how the costs of training schemes can be lowered to how successful initiatives can be scaled up.

next time: Remarkable sustainability initiatives.