Where chocolate comes from?

First and foremost I would like to start this post apologizing for not updating the blog over the past weeks, I´ve been travelling with little to no access to internet hence writing or updating the blog was almost an impossible mission.

I´ve been in Belgium, Holland and Luxemburg so I thought this post should verse about chocolate or tulips. As a feverous chocolate eater, there wasn´t much of a question and chocolate has been chosen as today´s post topic!!

I´m fairly sure everybody knows where chocolate comes from, but I don´t think most of you know how cocoa is processed and treated before getting in our hands. As with many other industries, creating chocolate products involves a chain of productions with many links.

The process starts with bean producers and ends when retailers sell us the final product, maybe in a supermarket, a convenience store or a vending machine to name few. But in the middle, there are several other intermediates that help the process to run smoothly. Any of these intermediates play an important part in producing chocolate, and even if simplified, the following chart depicting all the intermediates involved in the process still looks slightly complicated to follow.

-        Research: Even though coca supply chain has never been known for its investments in research, over the last few years this tendency has changed, and nowadays research has become more and more common and cutting edge technologies are used on the fields in regards to pest control, quality improvement and labor technology.

-       Partners: As we said, the cocoa supply chain is not solely the process that involves the farmers turning the coca beans into a final product. There are a wide number of organizations that even though aren´t directly involved in the production still play an essential role in the process. Nongovernmental organizations, for example provide training to farmers, or offer certifications on best farming practices.

-        Governments: The role governments play on the cocoa supply chain varies hugely from country to country. Some governments are more prone to participate in the process by fixing prices or establishing quality standards for example, whereas others are more relaxed in their approach to chocolate life cycle.

-        Farmers: Probably this is the most important link of the chain nonetheless is the most forgotten. Chocolate is grown by individual coca farmers in charge of the whole process of sowing, growing and hand harvesting the pods. Most cocoa farms are based in Africa, Asia and America where the climate conditions are best for these crops.

-    Certifications: Regardless of the implication of governments in the process, some quality standards and certifications need to be acknowledge by chocolate factories, including cocoa quality, safety regulations, pricing or environmental awareness among others. These certifications help farmers, manufacturers and final consumers to know that the cocoa they buy is up to the highest standards.

-        Local buyer: Local buyers collect the cocoa beans from many farmers. Buyers vary in size from individuals to large cooperatives, but no matter what the size of the buyer is, all play an important part in the post harvest process, providing farmers with information, training and ensuring the quality of the product meets the standards demanded by the manufacturer. Local buyers carry out the first quality check on the cocoa beans measuring them by size, color and quality. When local buyers have gathered enough beans, they sell them to an exporter.

-       Exporter: Exporters buy the cocoa beans from local buyers and prepare them for international shipping. Cocoa exporters can be local companies, international traders, or even governments. Some exporters may also buy cocoa directly to the farmers.

Exporters form important relationship with local buyers and farmers and that result in better conditions for both the producers and the merchandise. Exporters can provide training, advice, and support to the other links of the chain. Moreover, the more access farmers and local buyers have to exporters, the more easily they will find a market for their crops and the more accurate the information regarding the origin of the coca beans, and the process they have gone through will be.

Finally, exporters are responsible for the second quality check of the cocoa, sometimes the exporter itself carries out the checking, some other times a third party does it before taking the cocoa to a local processor or shipping it abroad.

-        Processor: When the cocoa beans reach the processing plants, which usually are away from the countries where cocoa is grown and collected, starts the process of transforming the beans into cocoa products (cocoa power, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor etc).

Processors play a fundamental role in the rest of the supply chain. Because of the large volumes they purchase they can encourage significant industry change by pressuring manufacturers and exporters.

-        Chocolate manufacturer: The final product will depend on the manufacturer personal recipe and the ingredients used to blend the cocoa. When the product is ready it will packaged and sent to the distributors. As the most visible part of the supply chain, they can make the biggest impact on the process and ensure the final product reach the consumer timely.

Although the manufacturer can´t have direct relationship with every individual processor, exporter or farmer they can make a big impact on the whole process, and by putting the well-being of the industry and of struggling individuals ahead of their own advantage, they can support significant change for the farmers.

-      Final customer: The last step on the chocolate supply chain, the consumer, the individual who will enjoy the final product. Satisfying consumer´s demand involves every part we have seen of the coca supply chain.

This is it, summarized, but this is how cocoa beans travel from the pod to the selves of your favorite store. Lots of work and lots of links involved in the process just to get a final product at the right time and place.

Next time you enjoy a chocolate bar, a hot chocolate or a piece of delicious chocolate cake remember that there has been a long journey before it ended up to your hand!!