What is the difference between “cacao” and “cocoa”? How is climate change affecting the production of cacao?

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ArtOn Café, despite being mainly concerned with coffee, is interested also in other commodities and products, such as tea and cacao.

Let’s start with a bit of vocabulary practice: cocoa and cacao

The words “cocoa” and “cacao” are often confused and therefore misused. How can we use these words properly? Fun fact: chocolate comes from a tree, whose botanical name is Theobroma Cacao. We need to know this so as to better understand the difference between the two words. Cocoa is probably the more common word, as it is an ingredient in chocolate and often used for baking, while cacao is the seed, shaped like a bean, from which chocolate is made. Basically, cacao refers to the raw, unprocessed and unroasted seeds. (Murray, 2018, 2019).

Jan Pietruszka / Getty Images. Source: (Murray, 2019)

Interestingly, English seems to be the only language having two different words to describe the unprocessed seeds and the manufactured product. All other languages apparently have just one word to refer to the numerous forms of the plant. Actually, it is widely believed that this peculiarity of English derives from a spelling mistake – which was never corrected – of the word cacao (Murray, 2019).

Wundervisuals / Getty Images. Source: (Murray, 2018)

Cocoa production: the major cocoa producing countries

Cocoa beans derive from the cacao tree, which is indigenous to the equatorial regions of the Americas but is now grown in tropical areas all around the globe. The cacao tree requires a warm, tropical climate, that can be found in countries such as the Ivory coast, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Cameroon (Shvili, 2020).

Nowadays, nearly 70% of the world’s cacao is grown in Africa and in 2019/2020 the production of cocoa beans in Africa was estimated to be around 3.6 million metric tons. Most of it was produced on the Ivory Coast (Shahbandeh, 2021), which, producing over 2 million tons, is the world’s major cacao producer. The Ivorian economy is strictly connected to cacao exports, as it represents 40% of the country’s export revenue, and this means that it is highly dependent on the price variations of cacao (Shvili, 2020).

Women in Cote d’Ivoire extracting and washing cocoa beans. Image credit: BOULENGER Xavier/Shutterstock
Source: (Shvili, 2020)

Ghana, one of the Ivory Coast’s neighbouring countries, is the second biggest exporter of cocoa, and its production represents 30% of the country’s export revenue. Nigeria and Cameroon are also in the top-five cacao producers. Despite being the world’s fourth biggest cocoa producer, Nigeria faces some challenges in this field, as both the cacao trees and the farmers are generally old and therefore less productive. Moreover, the farming methods used are often obsolete or inappropriate and the production of cocoa products is not diversified. In Cameroon 37% of the cultivated soil is dedicated to cacao, which represents the main source of income for most of the rural population (Shvili, 2020).

Finally, Indonesia, which is the world’s third cocoa producer, is the only one in the top-five cocoa producing countries that is located in Southeast Asia and not in Africa. In Indonesia the cocoa industry is relatively recent; in fact the country only started producing cocoa consistently in the 1980s (Shvili, 2020).

Climate challenges and their effects on cocoa production

Cocoa production faces numerous challenges both environmentally and socio-economically.

Starting from the environmental and climatic side, cocoa cultivation often still implies the inappropriate use of chemicals, which negatively affect the soil, and the depletion of forests. For example, in Ghana between 2010 and 2015 more than 100 thousand hectares of forest were cleared for cocoa production (Shvili, 2020).

Climate change might also challenge cocoa production, and for example climatic factors are one of the main causes of the declining trend experienced by Nigeria in cocoa production around 2008. Climatic factors were therefore analysed to assess the degree of vulnerability of the plantations and to find the best strategies to cope with climatic challenges (Oyekale, Bolaji, & Olowa, 2009).

Studies show that temperature and rainfall generally play a vital role in cocoa production, notably in West Africa. In particular, extreme temperature seems to negatively affect cocoa production and the current combination of increasing temperature and declining rainfall may result in a reduction of the cocoa output in the future (Ofori-Boateng & Insah, 2014).

These charts show the extreme variability in rainfall from February to September 2019 compared to the long-term normal (11 years).
There were many weeks when little to no rainfall fell, where over 50 mm was expected.
This will likely impact both cash and food crops across Ghana.
Source: (Allognon, 2019)

Socio-economic implications of cocoa production

The production of cocoa is often sadly associated with child and forced labour, as millions of children are employed in harvesting cocoa beans. Organizations that promote human and workers’ rights are now raising consumers’ awareness about this phenomenon and encouraging consumers to prefer fair trade chocolate and cocoa products (Shvili, 2020).

In this way, the variations in demand could positively affect the production methods and help producers and workers to make their voices heard. In fact, fair trade systems such as Fairtrade, the most famous, which we presented in one of our previous articles, aim at improving working conditions and simultaneously respecting human rights and safeguarding the environment.

Processing cocoa

Cocoa is one of the most popular gourmet ingredients in our kitchen, but how is that delicious powder produced? Cacao beans grow in pods about the size of a football sprouting from the trunk and branches of the cacao tree. When the pods are ripe, they turn from green to orange. At this point, farmers carefully slice the pods off the trees with machetes. Everything in this phase is done manually, as machines may damage the tree or the seeds (The World Atlas of Chocolate, n.d.).

Source: (Allognon, 2019)

Cacao pods collected in this way are taken to a processing house, where they are split open and the cacao beans are removed. Each pod can contain up to 50 cacao beans, but they are not ready yet (The World Atlas of Chocolate, n.d.)!

Farmer old man in cocoa plantation, tending and harvesting, Ecuadorian cocoa

The cacao beans, at this point, are to be fermented. There are several options for this phase: for example they can be placed in large, shallow, heated trays or covered with large banana leaves, or, if the climate is right, they could be simply heated by the sun. In this phase the beans are periodically stirred, so that they all come out equally fermented. At the end of this process, which lasts five to eight days, the beans turn brown (The World Atlas of Chocolate, n.d.).

Measure the temperature of the fermented cocoa beans

Finally, after fermentation, the cacao seeds must be dried, so farmers spread them on trays that are then left in the sun. This phase usually lasts about one week. At the end of the drying process the cacao beans are almost half their original weight (The World Atlas of Chocolate, n.d.).

Are you now craving chocolate? Stay tuned to find out more about this bittersweet treat in our next article!

Bibliography

Allognon, L. (2019). Urgent Weather Advisory: Cacao in Ghana. Retrieved July 24, 2021, from aWhere website: https://www.awhere.com/urgent-weather-advisory-cacao-in-ghana/

Murray, J. (2018). What Is Raw Cacao? The Spruce Eats. Retrieved from https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-raw-cacao-how-to-use-3376452

Murray, J. (2019). The Difference Between Cocoa and Cacao. The Spruce Eats. Retrieved from https://www.thespruceeats.com/difference-between-cocoa-and-cacao-3376438

Ofori-Boateng, K., & Insah, B. (2014). The impact of climate change on cocoa production in West Africa.

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, 6(3), 296–314. doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-01-2013-0007

Oyekale, A. S., Bolaji, M. B., & Olowa, O. W. (2009). The effects of climate change on cocoa production and vulnerability assessment in Nigeria. Agricultural Journal, 4(2), 77–85. Retrieved from https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20093214408

Shahbandeh, M. (2021). Cocoa industry – statistics & facts. Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/topics/3211/cocoa-industry/

Shvili, J. (2020). The Top Cocoa-Producing Countries. WorldAtlas. Retrieved from https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-10-cocoa-producing-countries.html

The World Atlas of Chocolate. (n.d.). The production of chocolate. Retrieved July 22, 2021, from https://www.sfu.ca/geog351fall03/groups-webpages/gp8/prod/prod.html

Picture credits: when not otherwise specified, the pictures were purchased by the ArtOn Café director

Honduras is a major coffee producer and Honduran coffee beans received high scores at the last CoE.
And what about El Salvador? Let’s find out how things are going there

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We at ArtOn Café always follow the Cup of Excellence auctions and events and the successes of the major coffee producer countries. We recently published an article about El Salvador and we will now focus on one of its neighbouring countries: Honduras.

Honduras: geographical features

Honduras is located in Central America and borders on the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Fonseca, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Source: (CIA, 2021)

Honduras is rich in natural resources and its climate is subtropical in the lowlands and temperate in the mountains (CIA, 2021). Notably, the interior of the country is much cooler than the coast, which is quite humid. The rainy season goes from May to October, but it does not affect the whole country equally. In fact the interior and the Pacific coast are relatively dry between November and April, while on the Caribbean coast it rains all year round (Country Reports, n.d.).

The Honduran climate is ideal for growing coffee beans; however, Honduras is still an emerging country in this field and many regions are not well known yet, so most of the coffee produced is simply labelled “from Honduras”, without specifying the region. In any case, Honduran coffees are grown mainly in the western part of the country, at the border with Guatemala and El Salvador (Espresso & Coffee Guide, n.d.).

Honduras use of natural resources. Source: (Country Reports, n.d.)

Honduran coffee: general overview

Honduran coffee beans are generally described as full-bodied, with a sweet and mild taste. Even though it was historically used mainly as a base in coffee blends, it has recently become more popular even as a single- origin (Espresso & Coffee Guide, n.d.).

Honduran coffee is grown between 1,100 and 1,650 metres above sea level and is harvested between November and April. The main Arabica varieties that are grown there are Bourbon, Caturra, Typica, Catuai, and Pacas. The aroma usually has notes of vanilla and hazelnut, while the flavour presents reminiscences of chocolate and nuts. The body is round and, in terms of acidity, Honduran coffee is soft and balanced (Espresso & Coffee Guide, n.d.).

Coffees from Honduras are typically washed and graded according to the altitude they were grown at. More specifically, they are classified as Strictly High Grown, when grown 1,350 or more metres above sea level, High Grown when grown between 1,200 and 1,350 metres above sea level, and Central Standard when grown below 1,200 metres above sea level. Concerning the coffee ratings, Honduran coffees are generally on an equal footing with the neighbouring Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua (Espresso & Coffee Guide, n.d.).

Honduras green coffees. Source: (Espresso & Coffee Guide, n.d.)

Coffee regions in Honduras

Coffee is grown in Honduras in coffee regions which vary in terms of altitude and climate, but which share the idea of tradition and harmony with the surrounding environment and with the local people. Coffee production is in fact the main source of revenue for more than 100,000 families and creates more than one million jobs (IHCAFE, n.d.-a). The geographical diversity of the country results in high quality coffees with diverse characteristics.

Coffee export

Coffee is the main farming product which Honduras exports and it represents more than 3% of the national GDP and almost 30% of the GDP in the farming sector. Exporting represents in fact one of the main elements in the national economy. For example, in 2016-2017 Honduras exported 9.5 million sacks of 46kg each, which corresponded to +41.85% compared to the previous year (IHCAFE, n.d.-b).

Source: (IHCAFE, n.d.-b)

Cup of Excellence: Taza de Excelencia Honduras 2021

Taza de Excelencia, or Cup of Excellence, is the Café de Honduras promotional program. It was launched in 2004 by the Instituto Hondureño del Café (IHCAFE) to promote coffee quality worldwide and to generate business opportunities (IHCAFE, n.d.-c).

After a break caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2021 Cup of Excellence (CoE) event – announced by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) and the Honduran Coffee Institute (IHCAFE) – marks the 17th edition of the CoE in Honduras (Global Coffee Report, 2021).

The results were impressive: 40 lots made it to the international phase, 15 of which were National Winners while 25 made it to the online auction which will be held on August, 19th (IHCAFE, n.d.-c).

Source: (IHCAFE, n.d.-c)

Of the 25 CoE winners, 17 were from the Santa Barbara region, and 6 Presidential Awards were given to coffee producers scoring at least 90 points (Global Coffee Report, 2021).

One of the most interesting elements in this competition is that for the first time in the Honduras CoE history a daughter and father have been placed in the same competition. In fact, the second place was a natural Typica coffee – which got 90.4 points – from the Lempira region produced by Iris Dariela Carvajal. Her father came third in the same competition, with a 90.35 score for a honey-processed Typica coffee also from the Lempira region (Global Coffee Report, 2021).

From right to left in the front row: The first, second and third place winners in the 2021 Honduras Cup of Excellence. Photo courtesy of Cup of Excellence.
Source: (Global Coffee Report, 2021)

Sample registration closes on Friday, July 23rd for the following countries:

  • Macau
  • Singapore
  • Brunei
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Kuwait
  • Hong Kong
  • Taiwan
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Bahrain
  • Oman
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Malaysia
  • Thailand
  • China
  • Qatar
  • Russia
  • India

For all other countries sample registration closes on Thursday, July 29th.

Make sure you check the Honduras 2021 CoE results on the Alliance for Coffee Excellence website.

ICO Project concerning Honduras

Following the severe disruption caused by Hurricane Mitch in Honduras and Nicaragua, ICO has launched a project of emergency assistance. The aim of this project is to help rebuild the coffee sector through replacing coffee wet-processing capacity damaged or lost during the hurricane with cleaner technologies which reduce water contamination and are environmentally friendly (ICO, n.d.).

Check the details of the ICO Project on their website.

CoE El Salvador 2021

In this article about Honduras and its Cup of Excellence it might be interesting to add some details about the Cup of Excellence concerning its neighbouring country, El Salvador. We have already virtually travelled across El Salvador in one of our previous articles and we will now see how things are going there with CoE.

The Cup of Excellence and the Salvadoran Coffee Council (CSC) have announced 24 winners of the 2021 edition of the El Salvador CoE competition. The top-scoring coffee is a semi-washed Pacamara variety which scored 91.68 points. All the winners that scored at least 87 points are heading to the CoE El Salvador auction, which is taking place online on the 10th of August. An additional auction of National Winners, including coffees that scored between 85 and 86.99 points in the international judging round, is taking place between the 2nd and the 13th of August (Daily Coffee News, 2021).

El Salvador Cup of Excellence winners Giancarlo Rusconi (left) and Ever Leonel Díaz Pérez at the recent awards ceremony. All photo courtesy of Cup of Excellence.
Source: (Daily Coffee News, 2021)

Make sure you check the Cup of Excellence website to find out all the details concerning El Salvador 2021.

Bibliography

CIA. (2021). Honduras. Retrieved July 16, 2021, from The World Factbook website: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/honduras/

Country Reports. (n.d.). Honduras Geography. Retrieved July 17, 2021, from Country Reports website: https://www.countryreports.org/country/Honduras/geography.htm

Daily Coffee News. (2021). 24 Winners Named at 2021 El Salvador Cup of Excellence. Retrieved from https://dailycoffeenews.com/2021/06/30/24-winners-named-at-2021-el-salvador-cup-of-excellence/

Espresso & Coffee Guide. (n.d.). Honduran Coffee Beans. Retrieved July 16, 2021, from South American Coffees website: https://espressocoffeeguide.com/gourmet-coffee/coffees-of-the- americas/honduras-coffee/

Global Coffee Report. (2021). Honduras CoE sees daughter and father placing second and third in a competition first. Retrieved from https://gcrmag.com/honduras-coe-sees-daughter-and-father-placing-second-and-third-in-a-competition-first/

ICO. (n.d.). ICO Project. Retrieved July 17, 2021, from https://www.ico.org/project_erehab.asp

IHCAFE. (n.d.-a). Conozca las regiones cafetaleras de Honduras y sus características. Retrieved July 17, 2021, from Café de Honduras website: https://www.ihcafe.hn/regiones-cafetaleras/

IHCAFE. (n.d.-b). Exportaciones. Retrieved July 17, 2021, from Café de Honduras website: https://www.ihcafe.hn/exportaciones/

IHCAFE. (n.d.-c). Taza de Excelencia. Retrieved July 17, 2021, from https://www.ihcafe.hn/taza-de- excelencia/

How trustworthy are sustainability certifications for commodities as regards risks of deforestation and human rights violations?

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We at ArtOn Café have already discussed the efficiency of some labels for food products, notably the Nutri-Score label, and we are now focusing on sustainability certifications.

Sustainability certifications

Some food products have printed on their package a symbol certifying the sustainability of the production chain. Sustainability certifications, in fact, aim at safeguarding forests, and protecting the rights of the local people and farmers, in order to prevent the phenomenon known as land grabbing (Strinati & Dongo, 2021).

However, products showcasing these labels can sometimes still be connected to deforestation and human rights abuse (Rosoman, 2021), since a certification is not always enough to solve problems such as deforestation, soil degradation and the modification of ecosystems (Greenpeace International, 2021).

Businessman holding the world in the palm of hands. Concept for global business, 3d illustration

There are numerous sustainability certifications, but we at ArtOn Café will now focus mainly on the FairTrade certification, as it is the one most concerned with commodities such as coffee, tea and cocoa.

Fairtrade and sustainability

Fairtrade defines itself as an international organization aimed at improving the living and working conditions of farmers in developing countries and limiting the environmental footprint of production and trade activities. It operates mainly by ensuring that a set of standards are met, so that farmers and workers can obtain a more stable revenue to build a better future (FairTrade Italia, n.d.).

In this perspective, Fairtrade represents an international brand for fair trade, mainly concerning products such as coffee, tea and cocoa (FairTrade Italia, n.d.).

Fairtrade logo. Source: (FairTrade Italia, n.d.)

Fairtrade, whose power structure seems quite balanced, is considered one of the best fair-trade systems currently operating. In fact, Fairtrade is the only one of such systems that ensures a minimum price for farmers. In addition to this, farmers receive an extra sum intended to be invested in trade or community projects (Strinati & Dongo, 2021).

More specifically, the minimum price corresponds to the price that the farmers receive for their products, which is never lower than the market price and which is not subject to the variations of stock exchange speculation. This minimum price is calculated by Fairtrade, in collaboration with the farmers, so as to cover the costs that are necessary to guarantee the sustainability of the production and supply chain. However, if the market price is higher than the minimum price established by Fairtrade, farmers are paid according to the market price (FairTrade Italia, n.d.).

Rwanda 05 10 2016 Women farmers tend harvesting coffee cherries and coffee crops in their cooperative coffee farms in the Lake Kivu region of Rwanda

Despite this promising and positive introduction, there are also downsides. In fact, some researchers have shown conflicting results concerning the effects of this system on the basic goods. Moreover, the experts have underlined the need for improved working conditions and more precise working standards in the small farms, as well as the need for plans to fight child labour (Strinati & Dongo, 2021).

Fairtrade coffee

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks worldwide, yet coffee producers face numerous challenges, concerning for example the harsh working conditions and climate change. Fairtrade aims to respond to these situations and therefore it supports farmers and promotes the safeguarding of the environment and of the rights of the local workers and people.

Koperasi Baithul Qiradh Baburrayyan (KBQB), Indonesia. Jumiran is a member of the cooperative. He owns 1 ha and produces around 4,200 Kg cherry per year
Source: (Fairtrade International, n.d.)

For example, Fairtrade is committed to offering farmers some economic stability to help them deal with the extremely volatile coffee prices, notably by way of the minimum price (Fairtrade International, n.d.), an economic tool already discussed in the previous paragraph.

Coffee producers are also given the Fairtrade Premium, an extra sum intended to be invested in the business or in projects for the local community, depending on the choices of the individual farmer. The aim is to improve both productivity and quality. Moreover, Fairtrade helps farmers to create cooperatives and associations, so that they can be more effective when they ask for better trading conditions and reach wider markets (Fairtrade International, n.d.).

Greenpeace and the assessment of the effectiveness of the sustainability certifications

Greenpeace, which fights environmental crimes and promotes more sustainable solutions (Greenpeace, n.d.), has analysed the effectiveness of the sustainability certifications in fighting deforestation and the destruction of ecosystems worldwide.

More precisely, Greenpeace has published a report assessing the effectiveness of the land-based commodities sustainability certifications, notably as regards the fight against deforestation, ecosystem modification and the violation of human rights. The main aim of this report published by Greenpeace is to inform governments, political leaders and companies about the role that such certifications may play in the food chain and the reforms that could be introduced to tackle problems such as biodiversity reduction and climate crisis (Greenpeace International, 2021).

Planet Earth covered with grass and city skyline. Sustainability and eco-friendly approach. Some elements of this image were provided by NASA

According to Greenpeace, sustainability certifications seem a somewhat weak tool to fight deforestation and the destruction of ecosystems. Even though some certifications require strict standards, a lack of control and insufficient transparency and traceability turn even the strictest certifications into untrustworthy tools (Greenpeace International, 2021).

The companies which, despite their sustainability certification, are involved in the destruction of forests and ecosystems are still too numerous. Paradoxically, certifications might actually provoke more negative effects of the production chain on the environment, since – by improving the image of the commodities endangering forests and ecosystems – they may result in a rise in demand (Greenpeace International, 2021). Basically, certifications risk ending up in greenwashing and hiding – without solving – the environmental problem.

Man made fires to clear the land for cattle or crops. Daniel Beltra/Greenpeace
Source: (Rosoman, 2021)

Sustainability certifications: just smoke and mirrors?

Considering the data presented in the Greenpeace report it might be natural to think that it is not worth buying products with a sustainability certification. However, some certification systems still have positive effects, at least on the local area. Sometimes labels and certifications can be used by the consumer as guidelines. But being environmentally conscious when doing your shopping is not enough: consumers and communities should encourage political leaders to introduce policies in order to safeguard the planet, the environment and the population (Rosoman, 2021).

Bibliography

Fairtrade International. (n.d.). Coffee. Retrieved July 10, 2021, from Products website: https://www.fairtrade.net/product/coffee

FairTrade Italia. (n.d.). Cos’è Fairtrade. Retrieved July 10, 2021, from FairTrade Italia website: https://www.fairtrade.it/cose-fairtrade/

Greenpeace. (n.d.). Greenpeace. Retrieved July 10, 2021, from Il nostro pianeta merita una voce website: https://sostieni.greenpeace.it/?gaccount=adwords&gcampaign=DFR_KWD&gcontent=GP_mob&form_id=20&cover=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiqWHBhD2ARIsAPCDzangsYNwPSz8WZ717GSikmyPKZOJJGnktCe96hXhSzxemGNPeRSCM4IaAohBEALw_wcB

Greenpeace International. (2021). Destruction: Certified. Retrieved July 10, 2021, from Publications website: https://www.greenpeace.org/international/publication/46812/destruction-certified/

Rosoman, G. (2021). That “certified” label? Not what you think it means. Retrieved July 10, 2021, from Stories website: https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/46790/certification-labels-forest-destruction/

Strinati, M., & Dongo, D. (2021, May). Olio di palma, soia, legno, caffè, cacao. A che serve la certificazione di sostenibilità? Rapporto di Greenpeace. GIFT – Great Italian Food Trade. Retrieved from https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/certificazioni/olio-di-palma-soia-legno-caffè-cacao-a-che-serve-la-certificazione-di-sostenibilità-rapporto-di-greenpeace

Picture credits: when not otherwise specified, the pictures were purchased by the ArtOn Café Director