Comments on: The Toledo Cocoa Growers Association http://michael-niemann.com/blog/2009/04/01/the-toledo-cocoa-growers-association/ Reflections on the politics and economics of cocoa and chocolate by Michael Niemann Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:57:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Michael http://michael-niemann.com/blog/2009/04/01/the-toledo-cocoa-growers-association/comment-page-1/#comment-388 Michael Fri, 17 Apr 2009 21:34:28 +0000 http://michael-niemann.com/blog/?p=429#comment-388 I don't really know if G&B is currently buying beans from CONACADO for Maya Gold. All I know is that after the 2004 hurricane they did and got permission to do so either from the Fairtrade Foundation in the UK, or FLO in Bonn. I do know they buy from CONACADO for their other chocolate bars and your point is well taken. Why not buy on fairtrade terms rather than on regular terms? I don’t really know if G&B is currently buying beans from CONACADO for Maya Gold. All I know is that after the 2004 hurricane they did and got permission to do so either from the Fairtrade Foundation in the UK, or FLO in Bonn.

I do know they buy from CONACADO for their other chocolate bars and your point is well taken. Why not buy on fairtrade terms rather than on regular terms?

]]> By: RodneyNorth http://michael-niemann.com/blog/2009/04/01/the-toledo-cocoa-growers-association/comment-page-1/#comment-381 RodneyNorth Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:59:02 +0000 http://michael-niemann.com/blog/?p=429#comment-381 I'm glad to hear about the increasing strength of the co-op, though selling all of your crop to one buyer is, of course, to put all your eggs in one basket. On the coffee side of our business at Equal Exchange we encourage our farmer co-op partners to have a diversified set of clients, and not to rely too heavily on us. Its just not a sound business strategy. Besides the TCGA/Hersheys example, we've seen plenty of other examples like that in other commodities. I had, at least, two reasons for asking about the volume. 1 - if in fact G&B needs to buy FT beans from CONACADO, or others, for the Maya Gold bar there could be an issue of truth-in-advertising. 2 - if, as you & both suspect, G&B is buying some FT cocoa from CONACADO (a good thing) it raises the question why they buy some of CONACADO's cocoa on FT terms on some not? I’m glad to hear about the increasing strength of the co-op, though selling all of your crop to one buyer is, of course, to put all your eggs in one basket. On the coffee side of our business at Equal Exchange we encourage our farmer co-op partners to have a diversified set of clients, and not to rely too heavily on us. Its just not a sound business strategy. Besides the TCGA/Hersheys example, we’ve seen plenty of other examples like that in other commodities.

I had, at least, two reasons for asking about the volume.
1 – if in fact G&B needs to buy FT beans from CONACADO, or others, for the Maya Gold bar there could be an issue of truth-in-advertising.

2 – if, as you & both suspect, G&B is buying some FT cocoa from CONACADO (a good thing) it raises the question why they buy some of CONACADO’s cocoa on FT terms on some not?

]]> By: Michael http://michael-niemann.com/blog/2009/04/01/the-toledo-cocoa-growers-association/comment-page-1/#comment-380 Michael Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:12:22 +0000 http://michael-niemann.com/blog/?p=429#comment-380 Yes, I know. 100,000 pounds is not a lot. Even their goal of 250,000 lbs in four years seems modest, but the folks have a good sense of what they can expect. I know that G&B source cocoa from the Dominican Republic (Conacado) and I believe they get some of the FT beans from there as well. I know they did after the hurricane in 2004. So, if they need more, they may get it from there. But G&B has committed to buying up to 1 million lbs from the TCGA, so they have a lot of room to grow. As to the Off book, I think the TCGA has grown a lot since her research assistant visited Punta Gorda. For one, the TCGA is now run by locals rather than expats. Armando Choco (the manager) and Alvaro Pop (Compliance Officer), the two people I spoke with, radiated confidence and competence. I saw some of the organic inspection reports that their extension agents filled out and they were complete and comprehensive. That does not mean that all farmers there are literate, but the one farmer I spoke with, Justiniano Pop, seemed to me to be the future of cocoa farming, not just there but elsewhere. He was in his mid-to-late twenties, literate, had 500 trees and served as an extension agent. His farm is also part of the Cacao Festival Cacao Trail. Whereas I found young people in Ghana leaving the cocoa sector, in Belize they are joining. I think that fairtrade makes that difference. Yes, I know. 100,000 pounds is not a lot. Even their goal of 250,000 lbs in four years seems modest, but the folks have a good sense of what they can expect. I know that G&B source cocoa from the Dominican Republic (Conacado) and I believe they get some of the FT beans from there as well. I know they did after the hurricane in 2004. So, if they need more, they may get it from there. But G&B has committed to buying up to 1 million lbs from the TCGA, so they have a lot of room to grow.

As to the Off book, I think the TCGA has grown a lot since her research assistant visited Punta Gorda. For one, the TCGA is now run by locals rather than expats. Armando Choco (the manager) and Alvaro Pop (Compliance Officer), the two people I spoke with, radiated confidence and competence. I saw some of the organic inspection reports that their extension agents filled out and they were complete and comprehensive.

That does not mean that all farmers there are literate, but the one farmer I spoke with, Justiniano Pop, seemed to me to be the future of cocoa farming, not just there but elsewhere. He was in his mid-to-late twenties, literate, had 500 trees and served as an extension agent. His farm is also part of the Cacao Festival Cacao Trail. Whereas I found young people in Ghana leaving the cocoa sector, in Belize they are joining. I think that fairtrade makes that difference.

]]> By: RodneyNorth http://michael-niemann.com/blog/2009/04/01/the-toledo-cocoa-growers-association/comment-page-1/#comment-379 RodneyNorth Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:51:20 +0000 http://michael-niemann.com/blog/?p=429#comment-379 100,000 lbs does indeed seem like a small amount, especially given the size of Green & Black. Do you think this amount is enough to actually produce all the Maya Gold bars & cocoa that Green & Black sells? And how did what you learn compare to the description of the co-op that appears in Carole Off's book "Bitter Chocolate"? 100,000 lbs does indeed seem like a small amount, especially given the size of Green & Black. Do you think this amount is enough to actually produce all the Maya Gold bars & cocoa that Green & Black sells?

And how did what you learn compare to the description of the co-op that appears in Carole Off’s book “Bitter Chocolate”?

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