News Releases

First Step Made In UWI Chocolate Factory

For Release Upon Receipt - April 24, 2023

St. Augustine


The UWI St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago. Monday, April 24, 2023 - The University of the West Indies (The UWI), St Augustine Campus, staged the symbolic foundation laying for The UWI Chocolate Factory at the International Fine Cocoa Innovation Centre (IFCIC) of the Cocoa Research Centre (CRC), at the University Field Station in Mount Hope, today Monday, April 24, 2023. CRC has received partial funding from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, through the public sector investment programme, to establish a chocolate factory on a 10-acre parcel of land within the University Field Station. This chocolate factory will be a subsidiary company within IFCIC.  

Since its inception in 1930, CRC has focused its work around three mandates: conservation, research, and development.   The UWI’s current strategic thrust towards revenue revolution has led the CRC to include commercialization of cocoa. The IFCIC is an innovation ecosystem that includes technology incubators, business incubators, a model cocoa orchard and a ‘Chocolate Academy for courses to support bean-to-bar enterprises.  Future plans for IFCIC include a cocoa museum; a cocoa tourism centre and a restaurant, and a bean-to-bar tour to support agrotourism.  

Present at the occasion were Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Trade and Industry and Mr. Ric Javed Ali, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries representing the Senator the Honourable Kazim Hosein, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries. Pro-Vice Chancellor and Campus Principal Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Director of the Cocoa Research Centre, Professor Path Umaharan, members of the Diplomatic Corps, representatives from the public and corporate sectors, and cocoa industry stakeholders. 

The factory will be equipped for chocolate making and manufacturing of a range of products such as couverture, cocoa liquor, cocoa nibs, and chocolate. The construction of the factory facility has started and is expected to be completed and commissioned in January 2024.  

END. 

About The University of the West Indies 

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region for the past 75 years. 

From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe. 

The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world. 

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean in the World University Rankings, it is also in the top 25 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old).  The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action. 

2023 marks The UWI’s 75th anniversary. The Diamond jubilee milestone themed “UWI at 75. Rooted. Ready. Rising.” features initiatives purposely designed and aligned to reflect on the past, confront the present, and articulate plans for the future of the regional University. 

Learn more at www.uwi.edu   

Contact