Chocoa 2016 Conference. This is where a group of chocolate makers and cacao producers from all around the world gathered to discuss the issues of sustainability and innovation in the world of cacao. We were really proud to be asked to speak on the topic of emerging markets. India has never traditionally been known as a chocolate eating nation, however, as the consumption of chocolate in many of the traditional chocolate eating countries stagnates and markets become saturated, chocolate companies are now looking at Asia Pacific as their new market.
Mason & Co is the only artisan company in India working directly with farmers to try to improve the quality of the cacao that is grown in India and how this cacao is harvested and processed. We were asked to share our experience on the cacao production and how we see the market developing in India based on consumer demand and cacao supply.
When sharing our experiences of working with farms in India, we explained that to date, because all cacao in India is sold to mass market chocolate makers, the quality of the cacao was not very high and lots of work needs to be done to boost this quality at the farming level. But this is not just the responsibility of the farmers–the farmers we have met are motivated and dedicated, however they respond to market demand. Until companies buying cacao start to demand higher quality and also paying for it, then the quality of the cacao produced in India is not likely to improve. We, on the other hand, feel very blessed to work closely with farmers who are producing the best cacao in India.
If you want to know more about our experiences at the conference, please contact us on info@masonchocolate.com.