Caribbean Export OUTLOOK 2016

He adds that within the context of bean-to-bar

marketing and the associated high value it lends to

the industry, value added sub-sectors, especially in

origin “destination chocolate”, can be a high point

for some CARIFORUMproducers, as these areas

also thrive on the tourism industry.

According to Christy, a total rebranding of the

industry will not be successful without equal

investments in cocoa and chocolate.

“Many producers of grapes make their own wines

right on the farm and, as a result, they can market

both product and experience. There are many

other successful models within the world cocoa

landscape which apply both philosophies – cocoa

andchocolate.Yousee,chocolateisamanifestation

of the esteemed value and exquisite flavour of high

quality cocoa. Many institutions and governments

don’t grasp this reality – the economy of taste.”

With regards to increasing trade between

CARIFORUM cocoa producers and European

buyers and increasing the awareness/promotion

of the region’s market segment, particularly in

Europe, Christy recommends selected bean-to-bar

models which have proven mutually beneficial for

all parties in the cocoa value chain. For example, in

Nicaraguaacocoafarmer/chocolatemakerproduces

cocoaandutilisesitforspecialistchocolateandcocoa

products for a tourist market. At one awards show,

this Nicaraguan chocolate won high acclamations

for best flavour. Another Nicaraguan example is

commercial Danish project, Ingemann, with its

Cocoa-ID™ initiative which creates awareness

among chocolate consumers on the production

side of cocoa, through a high standard certification

system focused on the traceability of variety,

origin, fine flavour and sustainability. And in

Peru, entrepreneurs such as Arturo Urrelo Garcia

of Makao Peru and Ivonne Alvarado of Exotic

Chocolatier have gone beyond Lima and into

export markets with their exotic chocolates. They

have invested in modern processing equipment,

high-end packaging and a range of ingredients for

their chocolate, and their brands have become

popular in many international food fairs as they

make a sustainable contribution toward building

an industry as well as their own futures.

But in the bean-to-bar success stories, the

CARIFORUMcommunity’s very ownGrenadian

model stands out the most. The Grenada

Chocolate Company has been making chocolate

using cocoa from resident farms as well as from

local cooperatives for many years. Produced,

packaged and sold to local and international

buyers, the high quality organic brand of chocolate

is shipped to the USA andUKmarkets on a sailing

ship with no engine (an added appeal because of

its low carbon foot print). This is one of the most

direct models in the region and was one of the

inspirations for founding Direct Cacao.

Looking ahead, Christy sees emerging non-

traditional markets as new inspiration for his

stalwart organisation. New bean-to-bar entities

being set up in India and Lithuania and a trail

blazing cocoa-to-chocolate company run by

Swedish pioneer Bertil Åkesson, who owns cocoa

plantations in Brazil, Madagascar and South East

Asia, paint a positive picture for the future of

the cocoa industry. Åkesson produces cocoa

beans and chocolates. His Madagascan cocoa is

a favourite among other chocolate makers and

his chocolate collection is known globally for its

exquisite quality and taste.

“Akesson’s company is not very large but it is quite

successful. This model is a good specimen for

CARIFORUM cocoa producers. But this model

will only succeed with greater accessibility of

Caribbean cocoa by the European and world

markets. One way of increasing the accessibility

of small farmermarkets is congregation shipping,

which enables small farmers to ship small

quantities of cocoa as a group to one or more

European buyers. Of course, for these innovative

strategies to thrive, there must be collaboration

between stakeholders within the value chain

and facilitation of meetings between buyers and

producers to devise the best systems to ensure

mutually beneficial and secure ties between all

stakeholders,” Christy opines.

Through the initiatives of the Direct Cacao

Association and the other development hats he

wears, Christy hopes to engage governments,

institutions and stakeholders in this new cocoa

renaissance.In

the final analysis, Christy recognises

cocoa and chocolate as the golden currency for

CARIFORUM cocoa producers, but in order

for the regional industry to soar through this

advantage theremust be a grand reinvention of the

regional cocoa sectorwhichputs Caribbean origin

chocolate and cocoa in the ranks of grapes and

champagne and their specialistmarket. Only then

will the fine flavour cocoa-producing Caribbean

reap the benefits of its richhistory andflavour and

become more competitive in European markets,

the largest fan base for the best champagne and

the best dark chocolates.

Lorraine Waldropt-Ferguson is a freelance newspaper columnist, adventure/travel journalist, agricultural econo-

mist, Director of One Seed For Change Initiative NGO and part-time lecturer at the University of the West Indies.

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