Bittersweet: A dive into the world of cocoa by bittersweetWUR

Bitter Sweet

A dive into the world of cocoa

Colofon

This magazine has been developed as the product of the Honours Investigation Project carried out by three bachelor honours students at Wageningen University; Nienke Peet (BSc Molecular Life Sciences), Ilse Biemond (BSc Plant Sciences) and Nadjieba Joemman (BSc Food Technology). Together they have worked on this project over the span of two years as an addition to their bachelor’s programme. This magazine is also the product of a Science Shop project called Beyond Fair Trade, Transnational entrepreneurship and partnerships with African diaspora. An important partner of this project is the African diaspora self-organisation, Africa In Motion (AIM). The Science Shop at Wageningen University and Research implements research projects put forward by non-profit organisations that aim to have societal impact. Africa In Motion is a non-profit organisation of African diaspora that collaborates with the Science Shop to do an action research on “the enabling environment for transnational social enterprises and partnerships initiated by African diaspora, that aim to construct new relationships that go beyond fair trade.” For more information, visit: www.wur.nl/en/ project/Beyond-Fair-Trade-Transnational-entrepreneurship-and-partnerships-with-African-Diaspora.htm We want to thank all the people who made it possible to achieve this. In the first place, we are grateful for our coach, Pieter Zuidema. He helped to set clear goals and also was a great source of inspiration, research material and motivation. In the second place, it was the Honours team who brought us together as a team and supported us whenever needed. Margriet Goris provided supervision and advice to us, as well as a great deal of inspiration and additional work to the production of this magazine. Alexander Nuer from AIM helped us with adapting our survey for Ghana. Cynthia Amas and Linda Klunder provided much needed feedback on the articles. Thank you! On top of that, we are thankful for everyone who gave input for this magazin. Faustina Obeng Adomaa, Anthonie Fountain and Henkjan Laats were willing to give an interview, which we appreciate much. Thanks also to our fellow Honours students, who assisted in writing articles: Emma Aaldijk, Hester Boekhoud, Merel van Efferen, Madzy Korte, Isabel Kuin, Laura van Lunteren, Emile Samson and Emma Treijtel. Credits for the lay-out go to Dorien Roggekamp.

Photo's

Margriet Goris: page 1(small ones), 9, 16, 25 Faustina Obeng Adomaa: page 4, 8, 10 Nadjieba Joemman: page 3, 4, 11, 12 Antonie Fountain: page 4, 24 Unsplash: page 1(big one), 2, 6, 27, 29, 30 Pixabay: page 5, 17, 21, 2 2

The taste of cocoa is as bitter as the problems in the cocoa sector. However, by processing, sweet chocolate can be made from cocoa. Likewise, a lot of people are trying to do something about problems in the cocoa sector, in order to diminish the bitter tang of cocoa. The aim of our magazine is to inform readers about different aspects of the cocoa sector and about different views on how the cocoa sector can become more socially and environmentally aware in the future. Some articles are very scientific and will provide the reader with deepening knowledge, whereas others have a more light-hearted style, while still shedding a light on consumer mentality in The Netherlands and Ghana. The voices from African diaspora and African sources have been included, in order to get a more realistic view.

From left to right: Ilse Biemond, Nadjieba Joemman and Nienke Peet

Disclaimer

This magazine is produced by students of Wageningen University as part of their BSc Honours Programme. It is not an official publication of Wageningen University or Wageningen Research and the content herein does not represent any formal position or representation by Wageningen Universtiy and Research. Copyright ÂŠ 2020 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, without the prior consent of the authors. 3

Voices of diaspora

Interview with Faustina Obeng Adomaa on fair value distribution

Faustina Obeng Adomaa knows a lot about the current labour conditions in the cocoa supply chain and the changes that are required to make the chain fair. She is a Ghanaian PhD candidate at Wageningen University & Research.

Visiting the Cacao Museum in Amsterdam Henkjan Laats and Yesica Ojeda Farfan run the lovely Cacao Museum in Amsterdam. They sell different kinds of direct trade and fine flavour chocolate from all over the world. You can follow several workshops and become acquainted with knowledge of diaspora on cocoa.

Interview with Antonie Fountain from the Voice Network The Voice Network is an umbrella organization of NGOs and trade unions in the cocoa sector and works like a watchdog for the cocoa sector. They focus on all issues, including gender inequality, poverty, child labour, corruption and climate change.

From Bean to Bar

Cocoa Fermentation

Interview with Faustina Obeng Adomaa on fair value distribution

Visiting the Cacao Museum in Amsterdam

Which chocolate should I choose?

Environmental impact of the cocoa industry

Ghanaian and Dutch perspectives on cocoa consumption

Interview with Antonie Fountain from the Voice N etwerk

Recepies with chocolate

Cocoa and human health 4

From Bean to Bar

A cacao bean makes a long journey from its place of origin to a tasteful chocolate bar in a shop. Join it on its way from farmer to consumer! Written by Ilse Biemond

On the farm

remains, is cacao powder. This is used for making dark and milk chocolate and cacao drinks.1 For making chocolate bars, a lot of sugar or sugar substitutes is added to the cacao butter. Also, lecithin is used as an emulsifier in order to prevent lumps. In the case of milk chocolate, milk powder is added to give a smoother, creamier taste.1

There are three different kinds of cacao trees, and they all give their own taste. Also, the region where the cacao is cultivated contributes to the flavours that develop. In any case, the trees grow in countries near the equator. Harvesting is possible throughout the year, once the pod is mature. It has a yellow, red or violet colour by then. The beans are removed from the pod and stored on heaps or in boxes.1 The important stage that follows is the fermentation of cacao beans. In this natural process, micro-organisms convert certain chemical compounds into others that contribute to the specific cacao taste. After fermentation, the cacao beans are dried in the sun and transported to a processer.1

At the chocolate maker’s

One of the last steps towards the final chocolate product is conching. This results in well mixed liquid chocolate. Now, it is possible to add extra ingredients, like nuts or fruits. Thereafter, the chocolate can be used either for coating and panning sweets, or for molding into an empty shell or a bar. Finally, the product is cooled down, packaged and transported to the shop1. Here, the consumer can choose between the many delicious chocolate products that come from so far…

In the manufactory

All beans that arrive are cleaned to remove contaminants. Thereafter, they are roasted in big ovens. At this moment, bad-tasting substances evaporate and the brown chocolate colour is developed. Before or after roasting, the beans are broken into nibs, small bean pieces. After that, the cacao is grinded and cacao butter is pressed out of the cacao paste. The product that

References

Gutiérrez, T. J. (2017). State‐of‐the‐Art Chocolate Manufacture: A Review. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 16(6), 1313-1344.

Cocoa Ferm

There’s a reason you cannot find fresh co tannins which make them bitter and astr responsible for oral lubrication, making t when drinking red wine. To prevent this, chocolate and other cocoa products. Fer by drying and roasting. This step is essen but is a bit more complex and time-cons Written by Emile Samson

Edited by Nadjie

During fermentation microbes perform multiple biochemical processes which lead to the improvement of the sensory properties such as flavor and texture¹. Nowadays, most fermented products, like yogurt and cheese are produced under highly controlled conditions with defined starter cultures. Cocoa fermentation is quite unique in that respect, as all the cocoa in the world is still produced with an uncontrolled fermentation. This works out perfectly for all the cocoa farmers, because this means that they don’t have to invest into advanced technologies and expensive bioreactors. The beans are pretty much sterile when closed. Once the pod is cracked, the pulp is first exposed to many different wild yeasts and bacteria. These microbes are sourced from the outside surface of the pod, the knives used to crack them, the hands of the farmer, fruit flies and anything else that they’ve come into contact with. The cocoa beans have a very selective environment. They are covered by a pulp that selects for acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and yeasts, which are the microbes responsible for the fermentation. The pH of the pulp is very low (3.3-4), which is lower than what most pathogens are capable of handling. Cocoa farmers’ worst enemy is mold, as they can also grow under the same conditions as cocoa. Near the end of the fermentation Bacillus bacteria can also grow and cause off flavors, so it is important to end the fermentation at the right time. The fermentation is a successive process meaning that the activity of one microbe changes the environment which allows for the growth of another. A full explanation of all the successive metabolic processes that take place is way beyond the scope of this article and is not fully understood yet. But in a nutshell; The pulp sugars are fermented into ethanol by yeasts, and lactic acid bacteria break down the pectin and consume citric acid. Then the acetic acid bacteria convert ethanol into acetic acid, which is important to prevent mold growth. The beans can reach temperatures up to 45 to 50 C when fermenting. The temperature is also a useful indicator for the farmers of how much longer the beans 6

mentation

ocoa fruits in supermarkets: The pods contain many ringent. The tannins form complexes with salivary proteins these dysfunctional. The same effect can be experienced , cocoa gets fermented before being processed into rmentation is the first step in cocoa processing, followed ntial for the development of the unique flavor of chocolate, suming then it seems.

eba Joemman

need to ferment. The high temperature combined with the acid and ethanol penetrate the beans, which kills the bean and initiates the biochemical changes needed to complete the fermentation.

beans from many different farmers are usually mixed to achieve a more predictable/consistent flavor. This also explains why single origin chocolate bars often have a more unique taste. When the farmer has decided that the beans are ready, they are dried to stop the fermentation process and prevent mold growth. Even though the microbes die off, this does not mean that the beans are done; many biochemical processes initiated during fermentation continue during drying and contribute to the flavor. To prevent mold growth, a very fast drying step would be desirable. However, the flavor development that characterizes high quality cocoa takes time.

If the beans are left to ferment too long, then molds and Bacillus bacteria can start to grow. The molds might produce compounds called mycotoxins, which are secondary metabolites that are harmful to human health. There are two popular methods for fermenting the beans: The first is called heap fermentation. The pulp covered beans are thrown into a big pile and covered with banana leaves or a plastic tarp. The covering protects the beans from insects and retains heat, which will speed up the fermentation process. A disadvantage of this method is that oxygen cannot reach the center of the heap. To get a uniform product the farmers have to manually turn the beans. Turning is also necessary to limit the growth of unwanted microorganism. This is a very labor-intensive process, which is why many farmers are choosing new methods which do not require manual shovelling and turning.

For proper flavor development, the drying process should take at least two days. The beans can be sun-dried or dried mechanically. Many farmers favor sun drying because it does not require investment in equipment and fuel, and they can avoid risking off-flavors that can be caused by smoke produced by the heat source of mechanical dryers. During sun-drying the beans are laid out on the floor and allowed to dry for approx. One week in sunny conditions or 3-4 weeks in cloudy/rainy conditions. It is very important that the farmers protect the beans from rewetting during this stage, as it could lead to mold growth. This could mean waking up in the middle of the night to move the beans inside due to rainy weather.

The second type of fermentation method is called boxed fermentation, also known as the tray-based system. In this method, the beans are laid out in a thin layer inside wooden boxes that are stacked on top of each other. The boxes have many holes which allows for oxygen to flow through the stacked boxes, so the beans don’t have to be turned. This also influences the kinetics of the fermentation, and chocolate experts have noticed that it delivers a fruitier chocolate product than heap fermentation.

As you can see, cocoa farming is not a 9-5 job, so the next time you enjoy a bar of chocolate, take a moment to appreciate all the farmers and microbes that contributed to creating this wonderful product!

References

Fermentation time varies between countries, and even between farmers², 2-7 days is a common range. Farmers usually predict when the beans are done based on the acetic smell of the bacterial activity, the appearance of the bean-surface and the decrease in temperature (which indicates that the bacteria are running out of substrate and are less active). The spontaneous and variable nature of this process is why cocoa

¹Nielsen, D.S., Crafack, M., Jespersen, L., Jakobsen M., (2013). The microbiology of cocoa fermentation. InChocolate in health and nutrition. (eds.) Watson, R.R., Preedy, V.R., Zibadi, S. Humana Press, 2013. p. 39-60 (Nutrition and Health, Vol. 7). ²Ozturk, G., & Young, G. (2017). Food evolution: The impact of society and science on the fermentation of cocoa beans. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 16(3), 431-455. doi:10.1111/1541-4337.12264 7

Interview with Faus Obeng Adomaa on f value distribution

Corporate practices are currently under a magnifying glass. Over the ye become clear that many practices are harming people and the planet. T companies are being pushed to change. The cocoa sector is one of the chains that have been under pressure of these demands. Written by Madzy Korte

Edited by Ilse Biemond

Human trafficking, child labour, deforestation, and extreme poverty among farmers are a few examples of the issues being discussed. To combat these, various certification and accreditation schemes have been developed in the past decade. Nevertheless, these schemes are being criticised by scientists. The changes that certification schemes have brought about may be limited. Faustina Obeng Adomaa knows a lot about the current labour conditions in the cocoa supply chain and the changes that are required to make the chain fair. She is a Ghanaian PhD candidate at Wageningen University & Research (The Netherlands). She obtained her BSc and MSc at the University of Ghana in geography and resource development, with a focus on agricultural geography and the geography of gender. Her current research discusses the inclusiveness of service delivery initiatives to smallholder cocoa farmers in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Obeng Adomaa argues that issues as inhumane labour circumstances and child labour are merely symptoms of historically rooted inequalities present in the value chain. By addressing the underlying inequalities, she aims to outline the processes within the system rather than solely the outcomes of it.

The cocoa market and its power dynamics

In an attempt to understand the system, it is important to know what the cocoa supply chain looks like and how value and power are distributed within the chain. Obeng Adomaa described the chain as globalised and complex. “Depending on how the sector is organized in a specific country, the chain can look a bit different”. Generally speaking, the farmers produce the dried co8

stina fair

ears, it has Therefore, many value

coa beans, which are sold either directly to multinational companies or indirectly via local affiliates. The cocoa is processed and manufactured into various products at different locations, usually outside the producing country. The steps in the middle part of the chain are often in hands of a few large multinationals that have partners or subsidiaries executing these steps. Eventually, the final products are imported, distributed and sold via the retail (i.e. shops and supermarkets) through which it reaches consumers. The actors and processes in the cocoa chain can open up the discussion about where in the chain value is added (i.e. the actual inputs and outputs) and what is recognized in the current industry as value addition. Thus, power dynamics and inequalities can be uncovered. Cocoa farming is a highly labour-intensive process. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you would really consider the labour costs of the cocoa farm, then it is an unprofitable ventureâ&#x20AC;?, Obeng Adomaa says. Nevertheless, the labour demands, especially in post-harvest processing, are barely recognized as value addition. It is from the moment the cocoa leaves the producing country and is industrially processed that the recognized value addition takes place. For a typical chocolate bar around 40 percent of its income goes to the retailer. The manufacturers get about 35 percent. In contrast, farmers only get about 6 percent of the income. This demonstrates a price inequality: unequal recognition of where value is added to the product. Obeng Adomaa points out that farmers cannot process the cocoa beans into final products and often even have no idea of what the final product actually looks like. Therefore, they are highly dependent on the local buyers and will respond to their demands. At the other end of the chain, there is also a knowledge 9

The change needed

gap. Consumers often do not know how the cocoa beans are actually produced and processed, though they are the primary ingredient in their chocolate bar. The selection and communication of information upwards and downwards through the chain is controlled by the multinationals in the middle, which hold most of the power. The Cocoa Coalition is an initiative that aims to change the attitudes both cocoa companies and consumers. Obeng Adomaa participates in that.

Obeng Adomaa’s ideal fair chain constitutes a chain that is able to deliver economic, environmental and social benefits to everybody within the chain, from producer to consumer. She states: “The kind of actions that are needed are first and foremost: we need to fix the price issue within the cocoa sector”. With that, it should be ensured that all actors are made responsible and accountable for their practices and behaviour. This means that value needs to trickle downwards in the chain, so that all actors can earn a decent living income and alleviate out of poverty. This can only be done if “companies and farmers develop reciprocal relationships based on trust and commitment”. However, making such a change is not easy and is also not the ‘magic bullet’. Obeng Adomaa argues that companies need bigger external pressures to push them towards good behaviour. Nowadays, the money that companies invest in sustainability and fair production is perceived as aid, hence, an effort. However, fair treatment of all stakeholders should be integrated as a core value of businesses. This change will perhaps only be made if national and supranational action and standards are developed that recognise existing inequalities.

The impact of certification schemes

Certification schemes have pressured multinationals to become transparent about their value chains and made consumers aware about how cocoa is produced. This has resulted in changes with regards to child labour practices in the cocoa industry. Especially hazardous labour among children has been reduced. In addition, there is an increasing number of children going to school. Therefore, they only help on the farm after school. Hence, certification schemes have produced positive changes. However, Obeng Adomaa sees that certification schemes are also an attractive way to increase the price of chocolate for consumers. Then, the added costs can be invested in farmers and their practices, without other stakeholders losing value. “Overall there seems to be co-optation of the standards so that the companies will gain some legitimacy in the eyes of the consumers. But really, what changes has that brought to the inequalities in the value chain?” She suggests that certification schemes have addressed some symptoms, but that the underlying issue, the structure of the chain, still has not been addressed.

The outcomes of evaluating the cocoa supply chain are not unique. Many other supply chains are also under scrutiny and actors are being pressured to transform practices into sustainable ones. The supply chains are all part of a larger economic system that produced the problems. Obeng Adomaa describes that many inequalities that arise are embedded in and reproduced as a result of our current economic system, free market capitalism. If we really want to change this, we may have to start “shaking the foundations of that economic system that we have believed in for such a long time”.

Visiting the Cacao Museum in Amsterdam

Henkjan Laats and Yesica Ojeda Farfan run the lovely Cacao Museum in Amsterdam. Here you can buy different kinds of direct trade and fine flavour chocolate from all over the world, and especially from Central America. In addition to looking into the vast collection of the best chocolate, you can follow several workshops in this museum. We participated in an alternative chocolate tasting-workshop, in which you paint what you taste. Afterwards, Yesica, who is a workshop leader in the museum, showed us how to make chocolate ‘bean-to-bar’ style in the bean-to-bar workshop. It was a very special experience to learn about all the types of handcrafted chocolate. In addition, Henkjan told us his story in an interview, of which a summary is given below. Written by Nienke Peet

Henkjan and Yesica’s story

Henkjan is a tropical cultural technician. He has worked abroad for over 25 years and came here in Amsterdam 5 years ago to set up the Cacao Museum. Of those 25 years abroad, 15 years were in developmental work, after which he graduated in conflict transformation at Wageningen University and Research. In 2002, he set up a foundation together with a Peruvian friend, in order to shift the focus from Western knowledge and experience to that of the Global South. Henkjan believes a lot of current problems in the cocoa industry are caused by how Western countries handle it. According to him, the solutions lie in indigenous knowledge. His foundation bases its goals on Andes Amazon philosophy, which emphasizes a continuous reciprocal relationship with Earth.

According to Henkjan solutions lie in indigenous knowledge Henkjan met Yesica in Peru, and at the moment Yesica works in the Cacao Museum as a workshop leader. Yesica is from an area in Peru where cocoa is cultivated. This area has the most-appreciated cocoa variety in the world. Yesica, being a Peruvian diaspora, has a lot of experience with cocoa cultivation and chocolate making and proudly teaches guests of the museum about her knowledge and heritage.

Fine flavour chocolate versus ‘industrial chocolate’

The impact of industrial chocolate

In South America, high quality fine-flavour chocolate is produced. The production of this kind of chocolate is encouraged by the government. In Africa, the production of fine-flavour chocolate is very small, and industrial-grade cocoa production is encouraged by the government. Farmers in Africa are often alienated from the final product and are not in contact with the chocolate maker. In addition, when these farmers only produce cocoa, they become very dependent on the global market price of cocoa.

We asked Henkjan about his opinion on the efforts of companies like Tony’s Chocolony, who claim to produce ethical and sustainable cocoa products by improving the quality of life for farmers and paying them a fair wage. He acknowledges how much impact such companies have on the industry and on farmers. Fine-flavour products only make up about 1.5 percent of the market, while Tony’s dominates a much larger portion. The biggest issue is their focus on only a few aspects, like slave labour and child labour, of a very complex problem. According to Henkjan, this issue is reflected in Western society, where organisations have the tendency to try to solve symptoms of a problem without addressing the root cause.

Chocolate makers in South America care a lot about their work, and are mainly occupied with research towards a better flavour of cocoa and improvement of the flavour of chocolate in artisanal production. Different varieties of cocoa are greatly appreciated here and sold for 8 euro per kilo compared to a meagre 25 cent per kilo for cocoa in Africa. The difference in taste is incredible, which we experienced in the chocolate tasting-workshop. Henkjan compares the quality of artisan chocolate to fine wines and argues that good and real chocolate cannot be cheap. Fine flavour chocolate cannot be compared to ‘industrial chocolate’, which has a uniform and easy taste, and is not hard to enjoy. According to Henkjan, chocolate needs to be regional and exclusive. His goal is to get people to consume less, but better chocolate.

Conclusion

In general, Henkjan is hopeful that chocolate will become a more exclusive, special and fair product. It would be an interesting challenge to create a new business model in which good products can be interesting for all consumers, also for people with a lower income. If you enjoyed this article and are interested in visiting the Cacao Museum you can take a look at their website: cacaomuseum.nl We would highly recommend checking out Henkjan’s profile: nl.linkedin.com 12

Which chocolate should I choose?

Imagine yourself having a never-ending craving for chocolate, but you do not know what chocolate you want to eat. The great variety in chocolate can give quite a dilemma. Fortunately, this article will guide you in the right direction. Written by Merel van Efferen

Edited by Ilse Biemond

Tasty chocolate

You are probably aware that chocolate coins from the supermarket are less tasty, but also much cheaper than for instance Lindt bonbons. Generally, there are two types of chocolate: fake chocolate and real chocolate. The base of chocolate consists of cocoa nibs, cocoa liquor, sugar, other sweeteners, cocoa butter, milk fat, milk derivatives and emulsifiers¹. Cocoa butter is responsible for that one-of-a-kind feeling of creaminess melting in your mouth. Cocoa powder provides a chocolate-like flavour, which originates from the cocoa butter that remains in the powder².

Besides good and bad chocolate, there are also different flavours. The most common flavours are milk, white and dark chocolate. To check whether your chosen chocolate is actually that flavour, you have to look for the percentages of cocoa and milk compounds on the ingredient list. Table 1 shows the requirements for different chocolate flavours³.

The best chocolate is chosen by your own taste buds

To rightfully call something chocolate, it should contain at least 35% dry cocoa compounds, including at least 15% cocoa butter and a minimum of 14% fat free dry cocoa components, according to Dutch law³, which is based on the guidelines of the European Parliament⁴. If this is not the case, then the chocolate can be considered as fake. Frequently, fake chocolate still contains cocoa powder as flavouring, but instead of cocoa butter another type of fat is used, namely vegetable oil. As consequence the nice feeling of melting in your mouth is decreased or even lost². So, if you seek chocolate with a rich flavour and melt-in-mouth feeling, you should look for a high percentage of cocoa butter and cocoa powder on the package.

Mininum percentage dry cocoa compounds (e.g. liquor) dry milk compounds cocoa butter fat free dry cocoa compounds milk fat

As you see, white chocolate does not contain any cocoa powder. The ingredients of dark chocolate vary a lot, despite these requirements. The percentage on the package indicates the amount of cocoa liquor, which is the main component responsible for that typical bitter taste⁵. All in all, the higher this percentage, the darker the chocolate, the lower its sugar content and the healthier it is. If you dislike a bitter taste, sugar-free chocolate is an alternative.

milk

white

dark

14 21.5 2.5 3.5

14 20 3.5

18 14 -

Table 1. Requirements for milk, white and dark chocolate according to European law 3 13

Best chocolate for the world

trade, but have their own approach. For example, they can target big cocoa companies or on smaller farmers⁷. The word ‘strive’ is used since 100% fair trade does not exist yet: it is almost impossible for companies to find out how every farmer is actually treated and paid. Although certificates only form a partial solution to problems in the cocoa sector, choosing a less unfair chocolate is still better for the world.

Cocoa beans are imported to the Netherlands. It is good to be aware of where your chocolate comes from. Cocoa is one of the main agricultural export products of Ghana⁶. Also, a lot of cocoa is grown in Ivory Coast. Obviously, the farmers should receive a fair price for their cocoa. As a consumer, you can choose to buy so called fair trade chocolate. This chocolate is provided with a quality label and thus easy to recognize. In table 2, you can find some different labels. They all strive for fair

Quality label

Another interpretation of best chocolate for the world is from an environmental perspective ⁸ ⁹. If you want to buy organic chocolate, you can choose one with an or-

Focus

Environment

people & work

Inspection

Transparancy

Rainforest Alliance (tql)

Conservation of nature, better social circumstances in agriculture, forestry and tourism.

Fairtrade (tql)

Strengthening the position of small-scale farmers and labourers.

Utz (tql)

Improvement of cultivation methods, working circumstances and more attention for nature and future generations.

European quality label for biological products (tqol)

No pesticides, genetic modification or artificial manure are used. Crop rotations is obligatory as are responsible usage of energy and natural resources (e.g. water, organic compounds), maintenance of biodiversity, preservation of regional ecological balances, enhancement of soil fertility and maintenance of water quality.

Samen maken we chocolade 100% slaafvrij (tcl) (together we make chocolate 100% slavery free) From tony chocolonely

The company works together with chain companies, NGOs, governments and other involved parties to ban slavery from chocolate industry.

Cocoa life (cl) From mondelez

Sustainability program focusing on banning child labour, fighting sexism and preventing climate change. This is done by e.g. development of cacao production by training farmers, access to recourses and loan by environment responsible cultivation and crops protection.

Table 2. Overview of the focus of different quality labels, given by the Dutch Keurmerkenwijzer¹⁰. Top Quality (Organic) Label = TQ(O)L, Top Company Label = TCL, Company Label = CL. Rated from low focus to high focus (1-5). 14

popular chocolate brands in the world¹¹ and the top 10 best chocolatiers in the world¹². Of course, this chocolate can also be bought online.

ganic quality label. But be aware that other labels also aim to do something about environmental problems.

Best chocolate of the world

Now you know how to distinct fine chocolate from fake, healthy from unhealthy and responsible from regular chocolate. The only thing you do not know yet, is what chocolate and which brands are crème de la crème. But remember that there is a distinction between the most popular brands, which are available in any supermarket, and high quality chocolate, originating from chocolatiers. Here follows a top 10 list of the most

To sum up, you now know about different kinds, types and qualities of chocolate. Nevertheless, in the end, if you are really craving for chocolate, every kind of chocolate tastes good, whether it is fake or fine, liquid or solid. Remember: there are thousands of rules, opinions, ratings and numbers about any chocolate, but the best chocolate is chosen by your own taste buds, and pockets.

Top 10 Brands

Top 10 Chocolatiers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Ferrero Rocher

Truffle bars of milk chocolate with hazelnut

Guylian

Chocolate Sea shells praline

Patchi

Luxury brand with exotic flavours and all-natural and premium ingredients

Doming Ghirardelli

Toblerone

Cadbury

Mars bars

Snickers

Us division of Lindt and Sprungli. Truffles and chocolate bars Triangular prism shaped nougat-rich chocolate Dairy Milk, Cree Egg, Roses selection boxes British nougat and caramel filled chocolate bars Mars but with peanuts

Teuscher (Zurich, Switzerland)

House specialty: Champagne truffle

Vosges Haut-Chocolat (Chicago, Illinois, USA)

Use of rare spices and flowers in premium chocolate truffles like Mexican vanilla bean and Argentinean dulce leche

Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, Inc. (Berkeley, California, USA)

Dark chocolate

Jacques Torres Chocolate (New York, New York, USA)

Fresh, handcrafted chocolates

Norman Love Confections (Ft. Myers, Florida, USA)

Pumpkin white chocolate bonbon

Valrhona (France)

Grand cru, single origins, single estate, vintage chocolate

Godiva Chocolatier (Brussels, Belgium and worldwide)

Pralines, gourmet chocolate

Richard Donelly Fine Chocolates (Santa Cruz, California, USA)

Kitkat

Chocolate-covered wafer bar

Galaxy (Dove)

Exotic, unusual flavours (e.g. lavender, chipotle, saffron, cardamom). Specialty: white chocolate macadamia nut, honey vanilla caramel

Enhanced flavours and distinctive designs and colours. Visually stunning

Chocolate bars (with caramel)

Richart (Paris, France)

Puccini Bomboni (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Hand-made, exotic combinations of chocolate and spices

Table 3. The best chocolate of the world, and what it is famous for. The prices range from around 10$ (Kitkat) to 249$ (champagne truffle) per kg. 15

References

⁸Europees Keurmerk voor Biologisch (koffie, thee, chocolade). (2020). Retrieved 2019, from: keurmerkenwijzer.nl/keurmerken/europees-keurmerk-voor-biologisch-koffie-thee-chocolade/

¹Minifie, B. (1989). Chocolate Manufacture. In B. Minifie, Chocolate, Cocoa and Confectionery: Science and Technology. Dordrecht: Springer. ²Warrell. (2016, January 05). The difference between good chocolate and bad chocolate. Retrieved January 30, 2020, from: www.warrellcorp.com/blog/difference-between-good-chocolate-and-bad-chocolate/

⁹Aims of organic farming. (2020). Retrieved 2020, from: ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/farming/organic-farming/organics-glance\ ¹⁰Keurmerkenwijzer. (2020). Retrieved 2020, from: keurmerkenwijzer.nl/overzicht/koffie-thee-chocolade/

³Warenwetbesluit Cacao en chocolade. (2014-present). Retrieved December 13, 2019, from: wetten.overheid.nl/ BWBR0012958/2014-12-13

¹¹Louis, N. (2019). Top Chocolate Brands in the World. Global Brands Magazine. Retrieved 2019, from: www.globalbrandsmagazine.com/top-chocolate-brands-in-the-world/

⁴Richtlijn 2000/36/EG van het Europees Parlement en de Raad van 23 juni 2000 inzake cacao- en chocoladeproducten voor menselijke consumptie. (2000, August 3). Publicatieblad Nr. L197 , pp. 0019-0025.

¹²National Geographic. (2012, December 28). Top 10 Best Chocolatiers in the World. Retrieved January 31, 2020, from: www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/intelligent-travel/2012/12/28/the-10-best-chocolatiers-in-the-world/

⁵What does cocoa percentage mean? (2016, November 3) Retrieved 2019, from: www.ecolechocolat.com/blog/cocoa-percentage-mean/ ⁶Ghana Exports. (2019, September). Retrieved 2019, from: tradingeconomics.com/ghana/exports ⁷Oxfam Novib (2020). De Eerlijke Chocolade-test. Retrieved 2019, from: www.oxfamnovib.nl/blogs/dagelijks-leven/de-eerlijke-chocolade-test 16

Environmental impact of the cocoa industry

To most people, eating a piece of chocolate does not evoke extensive internal discussions. However, if it did, a question like this could come to mind: ‘What is the effect of the cocoa industry on the environment?’ Shockingly, the production, transport and packaging of 49 grams of milk chocolate lead to an emission of 169 grams of CO2¹. That is the same amount of carbon release as driving 1.6 kilometres in your average gasoline-burning car². In addition, the cultivation of cocoa trees leads to a loss in biodiversity and decrease of soil quality due to deforestation using the farmland to cultivate only cocoa trees. Programs to combat these problems are mainly focused on supporting farmers to cultivate their crops in less impactful ways. Written by Hester Boekhoud

Edited by Nienke Peet

Deforestation

Deforestation not only leads to a decrease of biodiversity of plants in that area, but ultimately has impact on all lifeforms living in this part of the ecosystem. The forest is replaced by farmland with trees and shading trees like are canut, palm or coconut9, which attract less animals and other lifeforms than the more diverse forest. This can cause an excess of pests or diseases, and a lack of wanted lifeforms like pollinating insects, animals whose droppings fertilise the soil, and natural pest control.

A lot of trees are cut down for cocoa plantations³. It is estimated that the cocoa industry has led to a reduction in the rainforest of 8 million hectare¹. In the Ivory Coast, deforestation for cocoa trees amounts to 70% of the total illegal deforestation⁴. Together with Ghana, a total of 2.3 million hectare land has been cleared between 1988 and 2007 for the production of cocoa beans⁵. This is about the same amount of deforestation needed for soy farms, for which 2.49 hectare of forest has been removed in the Amazonian biome⁶. This is highly problematic, because deforestation causes a drastic decrease in biodiversity and carbon dioxide uptake⁷ ⁸.

When cocoa trees are planted in combination with other plant species, biodiversity is less affected compared to complete deforestation. The shades created

by cocoa trees can even benefit biodiversity, because certain plant species have a higher chance of survival when grown in the shade of other trees⁸ ¹⁰. However, to have more trees in the cocoa field may require land tenure systems whereby farmers have a long term land contract that allows them to invest in trees and in the soil.

1,1 million kilos of cocoa beans being transported to the country in 2018. After being imported to the Netherlands, a quarter of these cocoa beans are exported to other countries, causing even more CO2 emissions¹⁰. Packaging of cocoa products often include either plastics and/or aluminium, which are non-sustainable and partly non-recyclable. In addition, the packaging often includes paper which requires a lot of fresh water to be produced.

Loss of biodiversity ultimately leads to a decrease in soil quality in terms of nutrient capacity and soil microbial activity. By only growing one single type of crop, nutrients in the soil are more easily depleted. Additionally, the decrease of biodiversity leads to the elimination of natural fertilisers like animal droppings and biomass from plant waste.

Initiatives to protect the ecosystem and reduce carbon emissions

The High Carbon Stock Approach is a method to protect the forest and to avoid having land with low carbon and biodiversity values. This method divides the land in six categories, based on their carbon content and biodiversity. Four classes are seen as High Carbon Stock forests, as seen in Figure 1. The idea is that the High Carbon Stock forests are saved and that the farmers use the lands containing less carbon and/or biodiversity. In this way, the reduction of carbon uptake is decreased, and the biodiversity is less affected while farmers are still able to produce cocoa. If you are interested in the High Carbon Stock Approach, visit highcarbonstock.org/ for more.

The shades created by cocoa trees can benefit biodiversity Chemical fertilizers are a temporary solution but can cause over-fertilization of the soil. By using environmentally friendly systems like organic agriculture, soil microbial activity and diversity is improved. It is shown in some farms that the use of an environmentally friendly system does not have to be disadvantageous for the yield. This means organic farming can be a sustainable option¹¹.

Another method to decrease carbon emissions is the Climate-Smart cocoa program. The three building blocks for this program are productivity, adaptation and mitigation. Productivity stands for aiming at the highest output while maintaining a low input, which is illustrated in Figure 2. In case of cocoa, this means that each tree produces as much cocoa beans as possible, while using the least amount of water and fuels possible. Adaptation stands for the preference for long term benefits over short term benefits, especially concerning attention to climate change. Lastly, mitigation stands for reducing gas emissions. The Climate-Smart cocoa program supports farmers to re-use their land, leading to less deforestation⁸. For more information visit climatesmartcocoa.guide/basics/.

Transport and packaging contributing to CO2 emissions

The cocoa beans are transported all over the world,and the demand for cocoa products is increasing rapidly. The transport contributes to the emission of CO2. The Netherlands is the world’s biggest importer with about

Figure 2: Overview of the Climate-Smart Cacao program (Dalaa, M. A. & Asare, R., 2019) 18

Figure 1 Differences between forests in carbon storage according to the High Carbon Stock Approach (What is a forest?, 2020).

Whether the consumer actually has some influence on what products are being produced and how multinationals produce them is debatable. However, some organisations produce chocolate on their own terms, for example, fine-flavour chocolate producers which are situated in the same countries where cocoa beans are grown. Some organisations like Zotter in Austria or The Chocolate Makers in the Netherlands also partake in bean-to-bar chocolate, which is fair, green and sustainable.

worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/spring-2017/articles/bittersweet-chocolate-s-impact-on-the-environment ⁵Cocoa & Forests Initiative (2020). Retrieved from: www. worldcocoafoundation.org/initiative/cocoa-forests-initiative/ ⁶Lima, M., Skutsch, M., & de Medeiros Costa, G. (2011). Deforestation and the social impacts of soy for biodiesel: perspectives of farmers in the South Brazilian Amazon. Ecology and Society, 16(4). dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-04366-160404 ⁷The high carbon stock approach (2020). Retrieved from: highcarbonstock.org/the-high-carbon-stock-approach/

Summing up

⁸Basics (2020). Retrieved from: climatesmartcocoa.guide/ basics/

The cocoa industry has a huge impact on the environment regarding deforestation, loss of biodiversity, decrease of soil quality and CO2 emissions. Programs to combat these problems exist and are helpful, to a certain extent, in the context of worldwide environmental impact of the cocoa industry.

⁹Tnau Agritech Horticulture. Retrieved February 27th 2020 from: agritech.tnau.ac.in/horticulture/horti_plantation%20 crops_cocoa.html ¹⁰Nederlandse import cocoa in tien jaar verdubbeld (2019). Retrieved from: www.europa-nu.nl/id/vl0ijo2bfncz/nieuws/ nederlandse_import_cocoa_in_tien_jaar?ctx=vh6ukzb3nnt0

References

¹Redactie AnimalsToday.nl (2015). Hoeveel regenwoud zit er in je chocoladereep?. Retrieved from: www.animalstoday.nl/ hoeveel-regenwoud-chocoladereep/

¹¹Cruz, A. F., Suwastika, I. N., Sasaki, H., Uchiyama, T., Pakawaru, N. A., Wijayanti, W., ... & Shiina, T. (2019). cocoa plantations on Sulawesi Island, Indonesia: I—an agro-ecological analysis of conventional and organic farms. Organic Agriculture, 9(2), 225-234. doi-org.ezproxy.library.wur.nl/10.1007/ s13165-018-0224-z

²Rijksoverheid (2019). CO2-emissie per voertuigkilometer van nieuwe personenauto's, 1998-2017. Retrieved from: www.clo. nl/indicatoren/nl0134-koolstofdioxide-emissie-per-voertuigkilometer-voor-nieuwe-personenautos

The high carbon stock approach: What is a forest? (2020). Retrieved from: medium.com/@proforest/whats-a-forest77f3b9a91b01

³Gos wami, U. A. (2015). How making chocolate is adding up to deforestation, emissions & climate change. Retrieved from: economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/ how-making-chocolate-is-adding-up-to-deforestation-emissions-climate-change/articleshow/48598695.cms

The Climate-Smart Cocoa program: Dalaa, M. A. & Asare, R. (2019). Reviewing the Climate-Smart Cocoa practices to help farmers adapt to climate change. Retrieved from: ccafs.cgiar. org/news/reviewing-climate-smart-cocoa-practices-helpfarmers-adapt-climate-change#.XlF77mhKg2x

⁴Bittersweet: chocolate’s impact on the environment (2017). World Wildlife Magazine, spring 2017. Retrieved from: www. 19

A little disclaimer: the results are not an indication of typical consumers or students. This is because the participants were a m (45). Most of the participants were from the Netherlands (136). In total there were 157 participants.

Ghanaian and Dutch perspectives on cocoa consumption

We conducted a survey under students and their peers to get a view of their preferences and thoughts concerning cocoa products. We were interested, among others, in which type of cocoa products they like and whether consumers consider sustainability when buying cocoa products. Some people consider themselves aware consumers, but the survey results shows whether their behaviour actually reflects their values. Written by Nienke Peet

The results

A little disclaimer: the results are not an indication of typical consumers or students. This is because the participants were a mix of students at the WUR (101), students at the University of Ghana (11) and students at other institutions or graduated (45). Most of the participants were from the Netherlands (136). In total there were 157 participants.

Students in the Netherlands really like cocoa. None of the participants said that they disliked cocoa products entirely. Figure 1, seen below, confirms this. More than half of the Dutch students consume cocoa products on a weekly basis. Dutch students also like pure chocolate bars the most.

Chocolate ranking

monthly 23%

daily 25%

Pure

Milk

White

Other

Types of cocoa products ranking

weekly 52%

Figure 1: How often do Dutch students eat cocoa products and which products do they like? 20

Chocolate Bar

Chocolate sprinkles

Chocolate cookies

Chocolate milk

mix of students at the WUR (101), students at the University of Ghana (11) and students at other institutions or graduated

In contrast, figure 2 shows what students in Ghana like. They eat chocolate less frequently, and also enjoy pure chocolate bars the most.

never 9%

monthly 36%

daily 9%

weekly 46%

Figure 2: How often do Ghanaian students eat cocoa products and which products do they like?

Chocolate ranking 1

Pure

Milk

White

Types of cocoa products ranking 1

Chocolate Bar

Chocolate sweets

Chocolate powder in cooking

Chocolate ice

Most students in the Netherlands consider themselves an aware consumer. Surprisingly, this is not entirely reflected in their behaviour when purchasing cocoa products. As Figure 3 shows, to most Dutch students, sustainability is very important. However, they do not really consider it when it comes to chocolate purchases. The column on the right shows what they do consider, ranked by importance.

Figure 3: Left: How important is sustainability to Dutch students? Right: How often do they consider sustainability when purchasing cocoa products? What do they consider when purchasing cocoa products?

In Ghana, it seems like students are more aware of the consequences of their purchases. As Figure 4 shows, Ghanaian students thinks sustainability is extremely important and consider it most of the time when buying chocolate.

Figure 4: Left: How important is sustainability to Ghanaian students? Right: How often do they consider sustainability when purchasing cocoa products?

What do Dutch students consider when purchasing cocoa products? Taste 1 2 3

Brand

Origin

5 6 7

Quality

What do Ghanaian students consider when purchasing cocoa products? Taste 1 2 3 4 5

Price

Health Packaging 22

Quality Origin / Brand / Price Health Packaging

Cocoa products are considered to have some health benefits, but whether they have some healthy qualities that are special and are different to other products is debatable. The participants of the questionnaire have some ideas about how healthy cocoa products are. The participants mainly consider cocoa products to be good for reducing stress. Other than that, some think a piece of chocolate could be healthy because of the antioxidants in cocoa or because it is beneficial for the brain and improves studying. About 20% of participants do not believe cocoa products have any health benefit and none of them believe cocoa products help to protect you against UV light.

Figure 5: How healthy do the participants consider cocoa products to be?

Summary

As you can see, a lot of students in the Netherlands and in Ghana really enjoy cocoa products. Although most of them consider themselves an aware consumer and would like to shop sustainably, their taste buds often betray them. Taste is the most important factor when buying chocolate, and origin and quality labels come second. Most students think chocolate has little health benefits, apart from the relaxation it can bring to enjoy a heavenly (pure) piece of chocolate.

Interview with Antonie F from the Voice Netwerk

The Voice Network is an umbrella organization of NGOs and trade unions in the cocoa se dog for the cocoa sector. They focus on all issues, including gender inequality, poverty, ch climate change. The Voice Network follows the developments quite closely and provide ideas on what needs to be improved and what is going well. We talked to Antonie Fount the Voice Network, about current developments in the cocoa sector. Written by Nadjieba Joemman

saying that it is good that they are doing it, but that means that there are also a lot of other things that need to be done as well, to avoid deforestation, extra child labour, to avoid oversupply, etc. We have just released a paper on what we think is the right price for farmers and right now we are writing a paper on eco-forestry in the cocoa sector as well as a paper on rural transition: farmers are going to become more productive per hectare, what are we going to do with the fact that we have more production than demand and how are we going to make sure that the more vulnerable farmers are protected? There needs to be a proper transition strategy that brings human rights into perspective. We are also working on the new cocoa barometerÂ˛. A big portion of our time is spent discussing what we are putting into our papers. We are an umbrella organization, we are an association of 15 NGOs and trade unions, so it requires a lot of internal coordination to come to an agreement, so that everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position is reflected. The third thing is the advocacy. Once civil society has been informed and everybody is aligned, we need to bring it to the sector. I have for example been spending a lot of time talking with the European Commission about the need for a regulation in the cocoa sector and what this regulation should look like, but also making sure that there is sufficient support within the sector, so getting companies on board and lobby for thesregulations in Brussels as well. An example of a very concrete point in The Netherlands is the setting up of a Dutch initiative for sustainable cocoa, a very broad multi-stakeholder platform, consisting of multinationals, the government, NGOs. There are a lot of conferences on cocoa related topics and we advise them on what topics should be on the on the program, which speakers to put on there, so not just the companies and government get up there on the stage, but we make sure that there are also farmers, NGOs and trade unions on there, to give the other side of the perspective, rather than just business as usual.

Can you tell us about the Voice Network and some of your recent projects?

In essence we do three major things. The first one is that we make sure that civil society is informed about what is happening in the cocoa sector. We do a lot of online conversations with our members and others, providing info on what is taking place in the cocoa sector. The second thing is that we do a lot of research and write papers. For instance, on the living income differentialÂš that was recently set up by the Ghanaian and Ivorian governments for example. We wrote a paper 24

Fountain

ector and functions as a watchhild labour, corruption and es a running commentary and tain, the managing director of

You are working together with FAIRTRADE and Rainforest alliance, Barry Callebaut AG, Mars Wrigley and Mondelez. Can you tell us some more about this collaboration and how it works?

The way we work with them differs per topic. With Rainforest Alliance for example, there are several topics we agree upon, so we are allies, but there are also certain points, like how they set up the living income reference price, that we think they should improve and then we also very clearly let them know that. We do not play favourites in the sector, we work with everybody that has a good idea, to get their good idea across and we engage with everybody who is not doing well enough, to try and get them to do better.

What is your opinion on the effectiveness of self-certification schemes?

For a very long time, certification was basically the only tool available to sustainability in the cocoa sector. If the only tool you have is a hammer, a lot of your problems very often start looking like nails, so you will use that tool for every problem you have, because that is the only tool you have. The problem with using a hammer as the only tool is that you break everything instead of building it up. So, you need to use the right tool for the right problem. We do not believe that certification is the right tool to solve poverty, child labour and deforestation, but specific interventions that actually work are needed. What certification does do, is that it helps organize farmers, it creates a means of transporting value to farmers and it creates an intervention mechanism, if you define problems. If you find the problems, you can intervene. The problem with Rainforest alliance, is for example that the premiums are not high enough for the farmers. Organizing the farmers is a prerequisite to the other problems. But you are not going to solve the problems, just by slapping a label on it. The reason for that is that if you think that farming standards are the solution, then in essence you think that bad farming is the problem and you are blaming the farmers. But bad farming is not the problem, it is a systemic problem and the only way to solve the prob25

lem is to come up with systemic solutions. Solutions that look at politics.

is the price the farmer is getting for its product. Those four variables together need to equal the living income the household needs to be earning. We now know from data how much farmers are earning in Ghana and how much they need to earn. We still do not have very reliable data on the cost of production. In other words, we know more and more about which variables play a role, but we still need to fill in some data gaps.

In my perspective we have been approaching this problem all wrong. The assumption that the farming standard is the problem is incorrect. Farmers need to make a lot of changes to be able to put a certified label on their product, whereas the multinationals only need to pay a little bit of extra money. This clearly reflects the power balance in the cocoa industry. We therefore need multinationals to change their practices as much as we need farmers to change theirs.

According to the current approach the cocoa yield per hectare of a local farmer should be 800 kg per hectare and if this yield is obtained, then if we use the living income reference price, the farmer’s income should be sufficient. This approach in trying to get farmers to increase their yield has not worked very well. My belief is that it should be the other way around. If you pay a farmer more, he will start to grow more and you will gain better productivity. Or like a farmer in Ghana once told me: “price is the best fertilizer”.

Certification is not wrong, but it can be improved. It is one of the tools that we can use, but then you need to look at the problem that you have and determine what the most effective tool is to solve that specific problem. What certification does not do well, is the fact that they organize sample based pre-announced audits every two or three years. Those pre-announced samples might work for deforestation but are not going to find the problems in the chain for all issues related to labour. Therefore, we need to find different ways of finding the problem.

What would you say to students/consumers of cacao products? Do you think they can affect the market?

I have struggled with this question ever since I have been in the cocoa sector. I do not think that human rights, environmental protection or poverty should be voluntary or a choice. Almost all policy approaches have been based on voluntary principles, to let consumers decide. The practice of it is that without popular support, policies will never come off the ground, especially if they are unpopular because they raise prices or restrict market access, or make multinationals make less money. You need the broader public to push the conversation forward. But in essence only 15-20% are willing to change their consumption patterns for human rights and environmental purposes, which means that the majority are not going to be willing to do so. This is an unacceptable statistic, so that is why we believe that it is lazy policy to refuse to intervene with a government, but harmful to people and the planet. So yes, consumers have a role to play, but I think that the current discourse vastly overestimates the responsibility of consumers. In an ideal world the consumer does not have to worry that the products that they can buy are destructive to human rights or the environment. However, this world is not perfect, and it is important for consumers to realize that every difference is a difference, no matter how small.

Like a farmer in Ghana once told me: “price is the best fertilizer” How will fair wages affect the cocoa market chain and how do you envision that?

Within the poverty alleviation program, there are two separate concepts: living wages and living income. Most cocoa farmers are not wage workers, they do not get paid per hour like in a factory or on a large plantation. They are farmers, growing cocoa on their own land or sharecroppers, so they give a percentage of the income to the landowner and keep the rest themselves. Living wage and living income approach have a lot of overlap when it comes to how much a farmer should be earning. But there are different intervention procedures on how you can make sure that famers get that income. The problem analysis is the same, but the solutions are very different.

References

When we talk about poverty alleviation in the cocoa sector, we talk about living income. So, you are talking about not raising the wages, but making sure that farmers are able to earn a decent livelihood and there are a series of variables used to make that calculation. The four variables are: how much cocoa is a farmer producing per hectare, what is the cost of production both in input and labour hours, how much other income are you earning, how many hours does it take to grow the cocoa vs the other products and finally what

1. Living Income Differential is the additional sum to be paid per each tonne of cocoa that ensures the practical increase of the price that is paid to farmers [1] 2. The Cocoa Barometer is a state of sustainability report that looks at what has been happening in the cocoa sector, what the challenges are and what could be improved. Fairtrade. (2019, October 24). Fairtrade International. Retrieved from: www.fairtrade.net/news/fairtrade-supports-implementation-of-a-living-income-differential 26

Recipes with cocoa Beef stew with kidney beans and cacao Written by Laura van Lunteren

This delicious hearty meal is inspired by a traditional Mexican recipe called Mole Poblana. This beef stew has a very special ingredient; cocoa powder! The stew does not taste like chocolate, but has a slight hint of it. Definitely a recipe to try out if you are feeling adventurous.

Ingredients

500 gr beef or meat substitute 60 mL olive oil 1 onion 2 cloves of garlic 1 tsp cinnamon 1 red pepper 1 carrot 2 tomatoes 1 tbsp cacao 250 ml vegetable broth 400 gr kidney beans

Steps

Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the beef shortly. Fry the onion and garlic in a large soup pan. Add the cinnamon, red pepper and carrot. Add the tomatoes and cacao and cook for 3 to 4 minutes while stirring. Add the beef and broth, and bring the sauce to a low simmer, allowing it to slowly cook all the way through for about 2 hours. Add the kidney beans and let it cook for another 15 minutes before serving the dish with rice. Enjoy!

Brown-white chocolate mousse Written by Isabel Kuin1 - 4 persons - time needed (incl. fridge time) 6.5 hours

Directions

Ingredients

Divide the eggs and put the yolks in a mixing bowl and the whites in a measuring cup. Melt the dark chocolate in a heat resistant bowl over a pan of simmering water. Fold it in the egg yolks. Beat the whites up to stiff peaks and gently fold it in the chocolate mixture. Pour this in the glasses and leave it 3 to 4 hours to set.

Materials

Place the glasses in the fridge. Put the white chocolate, liqueur and water in the heat resistant bowl over a pan of simmering, not boiling, water and let it melt. Whip the cream with the mixer in the mixing bowl to stiff peaks and fold the white chocolate mixture in the whipped cream. Distribute the mixture among the glasses and put them in the fridge. Leave it to set for 2 hours.

Garnish the mousse with mint leaves

References:

¹ ‘500 chocoladegerechten’ by Lauren Floodgate, Veltman Uitgevers, 2011, page 218-219

175 gram white chocolate 1 tablespoon Cointreau 2.5 tablespoon water 275 ml cream 120 gram dark chocolate, optional crispy and / or with mint 2 eggs Mint leaves to garnish 4 Large wine glasses or glass dessert dishes Heat resistant bowl or melting pan Pan Mixing bowl Mixer Measuring cup

Cocoa and human health Most of us know cocoa from its use in the production of chocolate, an indulgent treat. However, it is not all bad news as modern research shows that dark chocolate has some interesting health benefits. Written by Nadjieba Joemman

Most of us know cocoa from its use in the production of chocolate, an indulgent treat. However, it is not all bad news as modern research shows that dark chocolate has some interesting health benefits.

Cocoa flavanols also protect the bioactivity of endothelium-derived nitric oxide¹. Nitric oxide is responsible for the dilation of the blood vessels themselves and hence an essential regulator of the endothelial function. Nitric oxide leads to vascular relaxation, smooth muscle cell proliferation and prevents platelet and leucocyte adhesion and aggregation.

The cocoa tree, which forms the basis for one of the world’s most popular food products, namely chocolate, has a rich history involving many cultures. The Maya people were the first known to consume cocoa and due to its health promoting properties, they gave cocoa its ancient name: “kakawa”, which means “ food of the gods”⁶. Nowadays a lot of people love the taste of chocolate, but most people are unaware of its health effects. Cocoa has a number of possible health benefits⁵. It has a great content of essential minerals such as magnesium and contains compounds such as theobromine, which can have an energizing effect, and phenylethylamine, which is associated with good mood. But perhaps the most important benefits of cocoa are its apparent protective effects it can have , for example for our heart and intestinal health. This protective activity is due to cocoa’s very large amount of flavanols. In this article the main focus will lie on cocoa and its relation to cardiovascular and intestinal health.

In other words, the positive effect of cocoa flavanols on certain cardiovascular markers, including LDL cholesterol and nitric oxide, indicate that the appropriate intake of cocoa can be beneficial for cardiovascular health.

Cocoa was known as food of the gods, due to its health properties

What are flavanols?

Intestinal health

Flavonoids are a type of phenolic compounds, which naturally occur in plants. Among flavonoids, there is a distinct sub-group known as flavanols. These flavanols are predominant in foods and beverages such as tea, grapes and cocoa. The most common flavanols in cocoa are the monomers:(-)epicatechin (EC), (+)-catechin and their oligomers, known as procyanidins. Factors such as maturity, growing, fermentation and processing play a critical role in the flavanol content of foods⁶.

The microbiota ecosystems of people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) were compared to healthy people8. This research showed that people with IBS had a lower number of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli and a higher number of Clostridia. Prebiotics can play a role in changing the human gut microbiota⁹. Prebiotics are a non-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon and thus improves the host health⁴. Cocoa is considered a prebiotic which contains a variet y of chemicals including polyphenols⁷.

Cardiovascular health

Recent studies indicate that appropriate intakes of cocoa reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease and several of its risk factors¹. It was observed that consumption of cocoa caused a reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and no significant changes in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol³. Besides improving the lipid profile, cocoa polyphenols could also influence LDL oxidation. Oxidized LDLs play a crucial role in the progression of atherosclerosis and flavanols decrease the oxidation of LDL.

Gut microbes affect the hydrolysis, the absorption of phenolic compounds, and at the same time the hydrolysis products affect the growth of bacterial species that are present in the intestine in either a positive or negative way². A research was done in which the outcomes of consuming a high-cocoa flavanol vs a low-cocoa flavanol drink was compared¹⁰. It showed that there was a significant increase in certain gut microbes such 28

as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli and a decrease in Clostridia. It can therefore be concluded that the effect of cocoa on the intestinal microbial ecosystem is similar to the effect of prebiotics. Cocoa consumption could affect the health status of the host by influencing the growth of certain intestinal microbial species.

2 Duda-Chodak, A. (2012). The inhibitory effect of polyphenols on human gut microbiota. J Physiol Pharmacol, 63(5), 497-503.

Eating chocolate, as part of a healthful balanced diet, could potentially provide a beneficial enjoyable way to improving well-being. Chocolate can be a very nutritional component in food and the knowledge of its various medicinal properties represents a stimulus to those involved with its production, processing, and consumption. Recently, science has advanced significantly in improving our understanding of the various features of chocolate that contribute to its popularity, and its effect, after consumption, on human health have also been extensively studied. More research is required, but the fact is that more and more people across the globe are really interested in chocolate and cocoa for health and the promising health benefit that it may have. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that supports that cocoa and more specific, phytonutrient components in cocoa may help to support cardiovascular health. Although marketing cocoa as a health product is not a priority, eating in moderation, mainly the darker forms, with a higher cocoa percentage, could potentially have many beneficial results.

4 Gibson, G. R., & Roberfroid, M. B. (1995). Dietary modulation of the human colonic microbiota: introducing the concept of prebiotics. The Journal of nutrition, 125(6), 1401-1412.

3 Ferri, C., Desideri, G., Ferri, L., Proietti, I., Di Agostino, S., Martella, L., … Grassi, D. (2015). Cocoa, Blood Pressure, and Cardiovascular Health. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 63(45), 9901–9909. doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5b01064

5 Martín, M. Á., & Ramos, S. (2017). Health beneficial effects of cocoa phenolic compounds: a mini-review. Current Opinion in Food Science, 14, 20-25. 6 Kaufman, T., & Justeson, J. (2007). The history of the word for cocoa in ancient Mesoamerica. Ancient Mesoamerica, 18(2), 193-237. 7 Redovniković, I. R., Delonga, K., Mazor, S., Dragović-Uzelac, V., Carić, M., & Vorkapić-Furač, J. (2009). Polyphenolic content and composition and antioxidative activity of different cocoa liquors. Czech journal of food sciences, 27(5), 330-337. 8 Roberfroid, M., Gibson, G. R., Hoyles, L., McCartney, A. L., Rastall, R., Rowland, I., ... & Guarner, F. (2010). Prebiotic effects: metabolic and health benefits. British Journal of Nutrition, 104(S2), S1-S63. 9 Steer, T., Carpenter, H., Tuohy, K., & Gibson, G. R. (2000). Perspectives on the role of the human gut microbiota and its modulation by pro-and prebiotics. Nutrition research reviews, 13(2), 229-254.

References

1 Araujo, Q. R. D., Gattward, J. N., Almoosawi, S., Parada Costa Silva, M. das G. C., Dantas, P. A. D. S., & Araujo Júnior, Q. R. D. (2013). Cocoa and Human Health: From Head to Foot—A Review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 56(1), 1–12. doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2012.657921

10 Tzounis, X., Rodriguez-Mateos, A., Vulevic, J., Gibson, G. R., Kwik-Uribe, C., & Spencer, J. P. (2010). Prebiotic evaluation of cocoa-derived flavanols in healthy humans by using a randomized, controlled, double-blind, crossover intervention study. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 93(1), 62-72.

Juni 2020