World Cocoa and Chocolate Day

World Cocoa and Chocolate Day - 1st October

World Cocoa and Chocolate Day, celebrated annually on October 1st, is dedicated to honouring the journey of cocoa from bean to bar, recognising the efforts of small-scale cocoa farmers, and raising consumer awareness about the origins, sustainability, and ethical production of chocolate. It highlights the importance of fair trade practices, sustainable farming, and the cultural and economic significance of cocoa,  The day also aims to celebrate the craftsmanship of chocolatiers and the global love for chocolate, but, crucially, acknowledges the great effort and sacrifice made by those who make it possible- the farmers.

Cocoa's Journey 

For those new to the chocolate world, cocoa pods grow on trees within 20 degrees of the equator. After harvesting, beans are fermented, dried, roasted, crushed into nibs, and ground into a cocoa mass (a mix of cocoa powder and butter). This mass is conched (kneaded) to create smooth chocolate ready for crafting into bars or confections.

Iain's cocoa is sourced from the volcanic island of São Tomé off the coast of West Africa. It is single-origin cocoa, meaning it is not hybridised (blended) with other cocoa beans, which is why Iain calls it 'the single malt of the cocoa world'.

The Ethics of Cocoa

You may have heard about the 400% increase in cocoa costs over the last year. There are several factors underpinning this drastic increase-- not least of which is the argument that this reflects the fair price we should have been paying all along to those who farm and produce cocoa. For decades, there has been an economic undervaluation of cocoa farmers' work, which is now being corrected in the increase in the costs of cocoa. On top of that, there are also the environmental factors- namely climate change and its impact on cocoa crops. 

The good news is, one result of this high price increase will be the support of livelihoods, and that all leads to higher quality chocolate for the long term.  Initiatives like the EU Deforestation Regulation will help in ways such as governance, while others such as the Cocoa Horizons initiative, which the Highland Chocolatier is signatory to, ensures practical support for environmental sustainability, community development, and protecting workers.  We are proud to pay a premium for a higher quality of cocoa – easily double what other chocolatiers pay – but genuine and sustained improvement to lives of people in cocoa growing communities, our local community and yours, requires multiple approaches.  In this vein, we decided several years ago to start donating a percentage of our profits to the Nyimdzi Foundation in Ghana to directly support grassroot educational programmes for youth.

Giving Back to Our Beloved Cocoa Countries

The Highland Chocolatier supports the Nyimdzi Foundation for Community Learning on a regular basis. As a family owned company committed to contributing to the world, we have already signed a Deed of Participation with Cocoa Horizons  to ensure our cacao is traded ethically, but we also give back a portion of our income every year to a cacao growing country that is vicariously supporting all our own livelihoods.