Unwrapping chocolate: the untold story.听From cacao genetic resources to cocoa and rewarding cocoa small-scale farmers.听
When we savor chocolate in its different tastes, do we think about cocoa production and the cocoa supply chain?听听Who produces cacao, how and听where听is it transformed into the delicious product that is being consumed all over the world?听听听Why do we know and are curious about chocolate dishes by chefs, chocolate types by manufacturers and not about the chocolate beans of the producers and the 
producers themselves?听听
Brigitte Lalibert茅, Scientist from the Alliance Bioversity International and The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) revealed the complexity of the cocoa supply chain to the students of the MA in Food Studies on 12 November 2020, as part of their program on agrobiodiversity and food consumption practices including Fair Trade.听听听She explained her work, focusing on听cocoa genetic diversity and the development of improved planting materials with priority traits for cocoa producers. 听 听
First, Brigitte Lalibert茅 clarified the terminology and explained that cacao refers to the trees,听small trees that grow over a period of 30 years in the tropical areas of the world.听
The trees produce the pods containing the beans from which, once fermented and dried, we get the cocoa.听The fermentation is the critical process that gives the chocolate flavor as well as the roasting of the seeds.听
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She showed the maps indicating the origin of cacao in the Amazon basin, where there is the greatest genetic diversity, the spread听to other parts of the world and the major producing countries.听听She pointed out the threats posed to cacao producers by land degradation and climate change with听increased temperatures and droughts.听听
After informing the students about the international collections of beans inTrinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica and the International Quarantine Center in the U.K., she talked about the Cocoa Excellence and cocoa quality competItion, the only competition that rewards the work of cocoa producers through a meticulous process of processing and tasting by experts.听听The winners are then celebrated at th Salon du Chocolat in Paris.听It is within this Cocoa of Excellence Program that two AUR Master鈥檚 students will carry out their internship.听听
After answering several questions by the students, Brigitte Lalibert茅 spoke about the Global Strategy for the Conservation and use of Cacao Genetic Resources for all those interested in learning more.
AUR thanks Brigitte for the very informative and thought-provoking presentation!