Straight From the Source
Cocoa, Cacao, Sustainability & Fair Trade
What does sustainability actually mean? On the second installment of Straight From the Source, host Clay Gordon breaks down the definition into three aspects: environmental, social and economic sustainability. Learn more about commodity pricing, fair trade and yields as they relate to cocoa. What is the cost of business and who covers those costs? Who takes the financial hit? How are market prices determined for fair trade models? Clay share his perspective on the life of a cocoa farmer and raises some interesting ideas on improving their lives and communities. If you're at all interested about cocoa farming this is an episode you do not want to miss. This program was made possible by Cain Vineyard & Winery.
"Cocoa farming is hard work. The young generation of children on the farms are not excited about the amount of work that it takes to make a decent living. Rather than staying on the farm, they are going to the big cities. The average age of a cocoa farmer now is heading to the mid fifties - early sixties. We need to make sure the communities that the farmers live in are strong and vibrant communities with enough resources to sustain the children and make sure the families feel supported - including infrastructure like schools and medical clinics."
"Chocolate is one of the few gourmet foods where the primary ingredient is grown thousands of miles away from where the final product is produced. It's this disconnect that enables us to not really think about the plight of the cocoa farmer because it's not in our face and we don't have to pay attention to it."
--Clay Gordon on Straight From the Source