Caribbean Export OUTLOOK 2016

Government Role & Support

In general the governments of the Caribbean

have been playing their part in supporting the

sector’s transformation by liberalising their

domestic markets for the buying and selling of

fine cocoa beans. Public sector monopolies are

giving way to a more competitive marketplace,

but there are still important areas requiring

governmental support to secure the future of

the fine cocoa industry.

For example, there is coordination between

ministries of government in Jamaica through

projects initiated by CFCF and funded by the

European Union and these should continue

and increase in intensity. Such initiatives

synergise the resources of Agricultural

Colleges (Ministry of Education) and the

Agricultural Research Centres (Ministry of

Agriculture), getting rural youth involved and

inspired with prospective entrepreneurial

ventures. Further initiatives are planned

for linking in the Ministry of Industry

& Commerce (Agro-processing) and the

Ministry of Tourism (supply chain to

tourists as end consumers). Elsewhere, the

Cipriani College in Trinidad is designing

support programmes for developing models

for modern day collectives and cooperatives

which can benefit hundreds of small cocoa

farmers across the Caribbean.

Other practical ways in which Caribbean

governmentscanassistthefinecocoasectorinclude:

• Supporting the sector’s infrastructure –

nurseries for cocoa production; germplasm

breeding programmes; and rural road

networks;

• Updating legislation on issues affecting

modern rural enterprise development – e.g.

anti-praedial larcenymeasures and the Road

Traffic Act (regarding the use of All Terrain

Vehicles ATV’s);

• Implementing practical ownershipmeasures

for land assets, making small farmers more

bankable;

• Drafting micro-finance legislation and

supporting subsidised lending against the

biological assets that are cocoa trees; and

• Promoting and protecting the global

branding, the quality of fine cocoa beans

and their derivatives.

Furthermore pan-Caribbean governmental

collaboration to make the market function in

some aspects in a more integrated manner will

help mitigate the risks associated with business

interruptiondue to climate change, environmental

damage, disease outbreaks etc.

The Future is more Innovation

The next stage in product and process innovation

of the fine cocoa sector in the Caribbean is

already underway with a US$2.5 million

project to establish the International Fine Cocoa

Innovation Centre (IFCIC) at the University of

theWest Indies in Trinidad, in partnership with

the CFCF, the Cocoa Research Centre (CRC)

and Newer Worlds, UK.

This Innovation Centre will provide the

infrastructure for action research, development,

experimentation and business modelling for

extracting more of the economic value of the

cocoa bean. This will be effected through the

provision of specialised processing equipment

and the know-how to convert the bean to the

many downstream derivatives – cocoa butter,

cocoa powder, cocoa paste, cocoa liquor, and

couverture – which create the basis for diverse

consumer products in the food, drink and health

sectors. Incubation is also part of the service

offering at the Centre which supports clusters of

entrepreneurs with business, finance, operational,

marketing, trade and export expertise.

The Innovation Centre is scheduled for

completion in 2017 and the project is currently

open to engagement with the regional and

international public and private sectors, to

explore the exciting possibilities for stimulating

the sustainable development of the fine cocoa

sector across the Caribbean, so that its revival

continues well into the next century.

The next stage in product and process innovation of the fine cocoa sector

in the Caribbean is already underway with a US$2.5 million project.

Vernon “Patrick” Barrett is an International Business Consultant who specializes in global trade, enterprise development and innovative

sector transformations as Managing Director of Newer Worlds (UK). He is also a Director of Caribbean Fine Cocoa Forum.

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