SUNDAY 5TH APRIL, 2015 – UWI TODAY
9
and quality management. Field training, in conjunction
with the Ministry of Food Production, continues to foster
best practice in maintaining cocoa estates. Sessions
have been conducted in Trinidad and Tobago, as well as
Grenada, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Belize, and
Jamaica under a Centre for Developent Project rolled out
by the CRC in 2011 to 2013.
Perhaps the most important developments in the
cocoa industry in recent times have taken place among
entrepreneurs wanting to tasteTrinidad-grownTrinitario
cacao, venturing into the wide open field of “value add.”
The IFCIC is offering hands-on training in chocolate
making. Sessions are limited to six to eight persons at a
time. Around 100 persons have been trained in the last
year.
COCOA ARTS AND THE INCUBATOR
The value streams from cocoa extend as far as the
imagination: confectionery, health and beauty aids,
medicinal treatments, cuisine innovation and new
business.
Isabel Brash said,“After I ground the first set of roasted
beans into a liquid state, I became possessed by the cocoa
jumbie. The transformation was pure magic!” It is this
potential that the business incubator will seek to release
among those who want to go beyond the academic.
The Chocolate Incubator will provide equipment
in “studio” settings for six creators at a time. Rapid
prototyping, innovations in use of chocolate for health
or beauty aids, cooking, product sampling and quality
testing, branding and registering for patents will be
encouraged.This stage becomes a building block towards
new business.
At this time, tutors in the chocolate making sessions
are CRC’s Darin Sukha, NaailahAli andMatthewEscalante.
The opportunity exists for guest lecturers from the
entrepreneurs who already enjoy success. It is hoped
that the academy and incubator will attract students
graduating in science, agriculture, food technology,
business and the arts.
COCOA TECHNOLOGY
“The science allows us todevelop anduse traceability
systems,” says Bekele. “There’s a chain of custody for
flavour, our unique selling point. It will allow quality
management and certification ineach stopof theprocess.”
The technology is based on Near Infra-red Reflectance
Spectroscopy (NIRS) which has already been applied to
rice, timber, fertilizer, shea butter, among other crops,
so that origins and fair trade practices may be assured.
Advanced systems will allowcocoa farmers and chocolate
producers to meet new standards in food.
Part of the IFCIC mandate is to share the vision with
other fine cocoa producing countries in the region.
First up is Jamaica where there is currently no national
programme for breeding cocoa. This will involve genetic
analysis of their trees as the basis for breeding. Training
might includemicro- and nano-grafting (on just emerged
seedlings).
FINE COCOA MUSEUM
Trinidad has a long history in research and
development of
Theobroma cacao
, mainly in academic
papers. The vast field of cocoa folklore is mainly oral. It’s
time to record not only the past, but the contemporary
innovations. The Fine Cocoa Museum will house a
permanent collection of artifacts and historical items,
alongside contemporary exhibits, publications, audio
recordings and films. An art gallery, gift shop and
restaurant may be included in the museum.
THE EMERGING COCOA SOCIETY
Around the world, everyone enjoys chocolate. All
the cocoa for worldwide consumption is produced by
about 15million people in 50 African, Caribbean or Pacific
countries, on three million small-holder cocoa farms. In
2008, the International Cocoa Organisation projected
that world cocoa production would increase to about
4.5 million tonnes in 2012-13 with consumption almost
on par. The annual earnings of the global cocoa and
chocolate industry are now estimated at US$70 billion.
Trinidad and Tobago enjoys the advantages of
science, technology, history and opportunity. It is possible
for a cocoa society to rise again in these islands and
the region. Here are the expected outcomes from the
Innovation Centre initiatives:
Certification services adopted by at least ten
regional cocoa producers;
Chocolatiers (six to eight) sourcing couverture from
regional chocolate makers;
Innovative businesses based on regional cocoa
sector;
New quality branding of fine cocoa from at least
five farmers;
New value added cocoa ventures;
Modern cocoa breeding programme in Jamaica;
International Fine Cocoa Journal established;
CRC evolved into a self-sustaining entity.
Persons interested in investing in cocoa are invited to
contact the CRC at The UWI, St Augustine.
-st.eu/content/ifcic-international-fine-cocoa-innovation-centre •
IFCIC website:
d cultivation of cocoa arts are attracting
t value to be extracted from the versatile
s, leisure and entertainment assets. Here’s
t The UWI is charting the future of cacao
tion.
e Cocoa Innovation Centre
project was
e CRC –with its partners – hosted the first
ntre (IFCIC) Conference&Symposium
long the Cocoa Value Chain.”
f of concept” that led to the IFCIC as the
Our support to the IFCIC is very much in step with the
new focus for development of this country.”
The Innovation Centre does require additional
funding for a centre of operations – a building – and it
is hoped that corporate citizens will contribute. Private
sector investments in this initiative are invited.
THE ACADEMY OF CHOCOLATE
Farmers will have the opportunity to utilize
recommended design and layout of a model cocoa
orchard, with new plantings, on five-acre plots.
Experimental orchards will be monitored for yield, flavor
Frances
Bekele
lude Pathmanathan Umaharan, Darin Sukha, Frances Bekele, Matthew Escalante and Naailah Ali.
