Chloe Doutre-Roussel and Alfredo Esteves join Jessica Ferraro in discussing the complexities of keeping Venezuela’s famed cacao and chocolate industry alive in a time of collapse.
Disruptors of the traditional cocoa supply chain explore the current dynamics within the industry and how transforming an outdated system can inspire a modern craft chocolate scene. With a focus on sustainability, equitable sourcing and fine flavor cocoa, these leaders discuss why a just supply chain is crucial to the future of chocolate.
Kim Wilson began her career in cacao with two primary goals: restore living wages to cacao farming communities, and empower growing communities to create unique and healthy snacks that can be enjoyed both locally and around the world. Empowering women was NOT part of her original intention, but she quickly discovered (and embraced) that WOMEN […]
While chocolate lovers are building their preferences and knowledge around specific cacao origins, we’re going to dive deep into the Laguna Lachuá region in Guatemala. Accompanied by esteemed chocolate makers from Sirene, White Label, French Broad, and Fjåk chocolate, we will discuss how Lachuá cacao turns into deliciously distinct chocolates! Cacao origins include a lot […]
An exciting initiative out of the Mexican State of Tabasco, the nation’s cacao heartland, Agrofloresta Mesoamericana combines the current needs of a sustainable supply chain: agroforestry, community development, and direct trade, with a product worth the prominence and history of Mexican chocolate culture. Join FCCI’s cultural fellow Jose Lopez Ganem and Agrofloresta’s founder Hugo Chávez, […]
In this talk Denise will describe only briefly what goes into making craft chocolate. However, the true value of craft chocolate are its outcomes. She will tell the tales of several of Castronovo Chocolate’s origins and travels to describe how chocolate promotes, peace, conservation, reforestation, biodiversity, and cultural survival. At a time when deforestation of […]
Discover a unique and intuitive technique to identify flavours through colour; a fun tasting and painting workshop using Taste With Colour: The Chocolate Tasting Flavour Map.
What are long-term buying relationships and why do they matter? Wynne and Simran describe how to build a new type of partnership between origin and distributor beyond the traditional model of simple trade transactions. They’ll discuss how they’ve both grown their respective companies by working closely together.