Growing a Triple Bottom Line in the Madland

photo courtesy of Madecasse

Chocolate we find in the States is generally produced here or in Europe from beans grown in the tropics, but rarely is the bar manufactured from start to finish in the country of cacao origin. Madécasse is one of the trailblazing chocolate companies that completes the entire chocolate-making process in a single country - Madagascar. Over a year ago, the company made an appearance on my blog during a sustainable chocolate 101. Only a couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of speaking to one of the co-founders of the company, Brett Beach, about the story behind the chocolate. Here's the scoop:

During their time as Peace Corps volunteers in Madagascar, founders Tim and Brett formed a strong relationship with the people with whom they interacted and the island on which they lived. Madécasse was formed in an effort to stay connected to a country that now felt like home. They entered the venture aiming to be as involved as possible in the local communities and support local economies within the country. Through a fortuitous turn of events, they made their way into the world of cacao and vanilla.

Why choose a bean-to-bar operation?

Many of the poorest countries in the world are found in the tropics. It's almost dumbfounding that a region so wealthy in natural resources houses so much poverty. Part of the reason is bad management, part of it is corruption. But mostly they don't do much along the rest of the value chain, just produce raw materials and not value-added products. A bean-to-bar operation presented the opportunity to be more involved with people in Madagascar and achieve one goal of retaining value within the country. It is qualitatively different from most other chocolate companies, even those that are fair trade. You work with a lot more people, all along the supply chain and not just the farmers. About 80% of the value in the chocolate comes from the labour involved in production and packaging, other ingredients like sugar, and marketing. Supporting the farmers is great, but it will only ever be about the cocoa itself; that captures only a small portion of the value.

What factors did you consider in the choice of your current source of cacao?

The cacao-producing region of Madagascar is found in the northwest of the island, in the Ambanja region. Farmers were selected based on their motivation, interest in working with the company, and the capacity to produce cocoa.

How has Madécasse considered the long-term social, environmental, and/or economic viability of the venture? (i.e. fair trade designation or equivalent, etc.)

At the farm level it is very similar to fair trade, but the farmers get paid more for their product. In Madagascar, the majority (around 80%) of cocoa comes from independent farms and not plantations. However, most of these farmers don't "cure" their cacao. Financing equipment to properly ferment and dry the cacao beans increased the quality of the cocoa, which is already some of the finest in the world. With this improved quality and community cooperative element, farmers can earn 1.4 times the income as in fair trade. We take it beyond fair trade after the farm – in the chocolate factory, assembling wrappers by hand, etc. – and realize at least four times the value of fair trade.

What is the most rewarding aspect of working so closely with a community?

To be honest, I think seeing how you can affect change on a small scale is the most fulfilling. It is also exciting how enthusiastic people buying the chocolate are about a project like this. We work with about 45 farmers in Madagascar, and it makes a huge difference in their lives. I love the cocoa farm and even the chocolate factory. The most important part is linking these two to consumers. We are lucky enough to be connected to both worlds – to be able to link a chocolate lover, the farmer, and the people in between. When you live in an industrialized nation and then live or work abroad, that perspective really provides an opportunity to make a big impact.

What are the biggest challenges of running a responsible chocolate company?

Two major challenges: we just started this purely on passion, no industry experience. Sometimes gaining that experience presents cruel lessons to learn. Moreover, operating on the same shelves as some of the massive companies, such as Hershey's and Mars, is difficult. We have had to quickly learn the ins and outs of the industry.

On the production side are the logistics involved in producing, transporting, and selling the chocolate bars. The time difference between Madagascar and our offices in San Francisco and Brooklyn make this more difficult. Not to mention just getting the chocolate to market in good shape - even more so because we are operating in a country half a world away.

Where do you see the company headed? Any exciting upcoming developments?

New bars! We just launched the pink pepper and citrus bar and exotic pepper bar. We are also planning on attaining a formal certification at the farm level, something like Rainforest Alliance, fair trade, or Fair for Life. At the same time, we are also increasing the volume of production, starting to work with more cocoa farmers.

Finally, which is your favourite chocolate bar?

Three depending on my mood. 70% is more of a serious dark chocolate bar, a little fruitier. For a creamier, richer flavour, the 63% is my choice. And for just an all- around fun bar, sea salt and nibs is it.

Thank you Brett for a fantastic conversation. Learn more about the company by visiting Madécasse at their website and on Facebook, and get your hands on a bar of this fantastic chocolate (my favourite is either the 67% or 70%...depending on my mood).

Learn more about chocolate in Madagascar.

Dare to Bake: Plight of the Nuts

We interrupt the regularly scheduled programming of Chocolate with a Soul to bring you this month's Daring Bakers challenge. I opted out of May's challenge due to lameness...but this time I was ready!

Erica of Erica’s Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker’s June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make Baklava.

Baklava is a traditional Turkish dessert made of filo pastry filled with a nut mixture and soaked in a honey/sugar syrup. Yum?! But this tasty treat may soon feel the impacts of a changing climate. Temperature, particularly a cold winter period, plays a key role in the flowering a nut trees. With warmer weather in important growing regions, such as California and the Mediterranean, this critical step may be absent. On the list of nuts to watch, pistachios and walnuts are A-list. Read more about why we should be concerned about climate impact on fruit and nuts.

But, let us not allow the impending doom of some of our favorite food items get us down. Celebrate their flavor in this Baklava...and start reining in your carbon footprint tomorrow!

Phyllo Dough

185 g flour

3/4 g salt

1/2 cup water

2 tbs oil

1/2 tsp cider vinegar

Syrup

3/4 cup honey

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

cinnamon

Filling

3/4 cup almonds

3/4 cup walnuts

1/3 cups sugar + 10 drops stevia + 1 tbs maple

2 tbs coconut oil/olive oil

Follow the directions in the linked pdf. It's complicated and not worth me spelling out. Just note that I made this in a pan about half the size recommended in the recipe. Thanks for the fun challenge. This recipe is a keeper (as long as there are nuts in my kitchen...)

What would be the most devastating fruit or nut to lose to climate change?

Boozing the Baked Goods

So this is perhaps a bit misleading, as all the alcohol is most definitely cooked off. But for Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays I made some muffins with beets and brandy! Will keep this short, but let's just say that the beautiful pink color on the outside did not maintain throughout the interior. Any words of wisdom on avoiding the chemical reaction between beet and baking soda that cause the loss of color?

Beet and Brandy Muffin - 6 large muffins (vg)

2 large red beets

2/3 cups brandy (I would use one of the sweeter varieties...)

2/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup water (optional)

1 cup white whole wheat flour

2/3 cup barley flour

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1. Puree raw beets, sugar, brandy, oil, and vanilla until smooth.

2. Sift together dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add your beet mixture. Combine until everything is just incorporated (add water...or more brandy?... if really thick).

3. Fill muffin cups. Bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes until set.

4. Allow to cool completely. Would be lovely with some strawberry jam!

Chocolate Cross the Potomac

Launched in July of 2010, today’s featured chocolate with a soul is from a company hanging out in the DC Metro Area (specifically, Woodbridge, VA). Potomac Chocolate is a small, artisan company that takes cacao beans through each step on the way to a final bar – just the beans and sugar! While savouring a piece of the 82% Upala bar, I got the low-down on this up-and-coming chocolate company from the founder, Ben Rasmussen.

Well first off, what enticed you to go into chocolate-making initially?

After I was introduced to fine dark chocolate in late 2009, I fell in love with it. So I started holding chocolate tastings for friends. I'd give them a little information on the history and production of chocolate, talk about how to taste chocolate to best appreciate the flavor and discuss various aspects of fine chocolate (bean-to-bar, single origin, etc.)

At one of these tastings, a friend said something to the effect that we should try making fine chocolate. I was skeptical at first, but after a little research I decided it would be interesting to try. About a year ago, we acquired a few pieces of machinery, experimented and succeeded in making a few batches of not-horrible chocolate. During those first efforts, Potomac Chocolate was born… naturally, with requisite delusions of grandeur!

Why a bean-to-bar operation?

While I enjoy a lot of different chocolate and chocolate confections, my first love is pure, dark, single-origin, bean-to-bar chocolate. Before getting into making chocolate, I was fascinated by the wide range of flavors that chocolate makers were able to draw out of the cocoa beans, particularly how one maker's bar from a specific origin would bring out certain flavors that were sometimes radically different from another maker's take on that same origin.

So, when I got into chocolate making, bean-to-bar was the only direction I was interested in. Bean-to-bar is an (almost) complete creative process, giving the chocolate-maker the freedom to impart his/her own vision on the flavor and texture of the chocolate. I say 'almost complete' because there are steps out of the control of a small chocolate-maker that happen on the cacao farm and that can greatly impact the flavor: harvest, fermentation and drying. However, I do hope to reach a point where I have some impact on the way these processes are carried out.

So in this case, obviously the source of beans is a crucial factor in the quality and flavor of your chocolate. How did you choose your current source of cacao? Are there are any particular factors that were influential?

Flavor and availability were two of the most influential factors for my first source of beans. One of the biggest hurdles for new chocolate makers to overcome is cacao sourcing. Since I have such a small production, it was difficult to find cacao suppliers who supplied high-quality, good flavor beans AND who were able and willing to work with the tiny quantities of beans that I use.

Of course social equity and environmental sustainability are also very important to me. My current beans come from the Upala Organic Cacao Growers Cooperative and are both certified organic and fair trade. Although, I'm much more concerned with the actual conditions on the ground than the labels themselves. At my current size, I have very limited ability to influence that. For now, the main thing I can do is do my research and purchase beans above market rates directly from the farmers or from reputable importers. Eventually, I would like to form a partnership with cacao farmers where I would have a much more direct impact on the conditions for the farmers by helping to improve the quality and marketability of the beans.

I can see how there would be many hurdles to starting a small chocolate company, by what would you say are the biggest challenges you have faced?

This is a tough one. As the sole employee of Potomac Chocolate, there are a lot of challenges. One of the biggest is simply time. There's just a lot to get done and generally not enough time to do it. Also, it is difficult working on such a small scale. I've already discussed the issues with sourcing cacao, but it also extends to other areas, like equipment. Chocolate-making equipment for the really small artisan chocolate maker is a rarity, so I repurpose some equipment that isn't really designed for making chocolate, and have even built some of my own equipment from scratch. For example, I built my winnower and plan to build a drum roaster that will be able to roast a lot more beans than my current roaster--a convection oven!

Sounds like you are pretty handy with crafting your own equipment; what did you do in your former life?

My former life is actually still my current life, in that I still have a day job in I.T. Most of my skill with building stuff (such as it is) comes from my long-held interest in DIY and just general tinkering.

Where do you see the company headed? Any exciting upcoming developments?

My goal with Potomac is to continue to slowly grow the line of chocolate bars that I offer, and to continue to expand into new retail shops. I am about to start working on my first non-Upala origin bar and hope to have it available in the next few months. After that, rinse and repeat! Along the way, I plan to continue to study and learn more about the chocolate making process, upgrade my equipment, and continue to refine my process to further improve my chocolate.

Final (and most important…) question – how would you characterize your favorite chocolate?

In general, I prefer a bar with bold, expressive flavors that kind of punches you in the mouth. Of course a good texture and melt are key, too. And while my personal favorite is my 70%, I think all three fit the bill.

They sure do. Potomac Chocolate is quite a treat, so get yourself to a chocolate shop and try some of this unique chocolate. Thanks Ben for taking time out of your busy chocolate-making schedule to regale us with the tale of your company. Looking forward to seeing where your path leads … hopefully to more chocolate!

If I were a blueberry...

...I would be covered in chocolate. Is that surprising? Luckily for me, this month I had reason to pursue my blueberry/chocolate interest. First off, as mentioned in my last post, the SOS Kitchen Challenge is highlighting blueberries this month! Secondly, blueberries are now readily available to me at the farmers market every week (more about this shortly). And finally, is there ever a time I would say no to chocolate? Probably not.

To start, let's spend a moment dwelling on the blueberry itself. Almost every Sunday, I spend the first six hours of my day selling organic produce at the farmers market (though the berries tend to sell themselves). Our berries are truly amazing, largely because they are organic. Why? For one, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides are chemicals that tend to kill off the soil microfauna, which in turn help mobilize nutrients. It shouldn't be a surprise then, that the quality of the soil directly impacts the micronutrient content and flavor of the berries. Blueberries also happen to be among the top 12 fruits and vegetables with high pesticide residue. Luckily, it is fairly easy to obtain organic blueberries, and the flavor is definitely worth the extra dollar or two!

So I've taken this opportunity to capitalize on the bounty of berries and do a bit of melting of chocolate and encasing unsuspecting, juicy blue orbs in the molten mass. Now for those of you skeptical of chocolate and fruit, give it a shot. While strawberries are lovely in chocolate, dark chocolate-covered blueberries tend to just burst with antioxidant amazingness.

Enrobed Orbs of Blueness

4 oz unsweetened, good quality chocolate (you can try Sunspire, Dagoba, or some other 100% bars that are organic/fair trade)

15-20 drops stevia (vanilla flavored is good; don't oversweeten)

-or-

4 oz semisweet/bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup blueberries

1. Stick a toothpick in each blueberry (option; only important if you plan on serving to other people). Place blueberry pops in freezer for 20-30 minutes.

2. Melt chocolate. Mix with sweetener if you are taking that route.

3. Dip blueberries in chocolate. Make sure they are well coated! Place on parchment or wax paper on a plate/tray. Once all have been dipped, place in refrigerator for 30 minutes or until you serve them. Will last...until you eat them :) mmm...

Enjoy!

Blueberry Pie in the Sky

It's that time of year again...well, much earlier for my Pacific Northwest expectations, but apparently not such a rarity here in the DC metro area. Yes, I am talking about blueberries! My farmer (the one for whom I work at the farmers market on Sunday...come visit!) brought his first harvest of blueberries last weekend and they were AMAZING! Now I have to admit that for this first entry to this month's Sweet or Savory (SOS) Kitchen Challenge I used frozen blueberries. But now that I can bring them home from the farmers market, I will have even more fun with the fresh variety, and perhaps some insight from my farmer.

This little recipe was supposed to be a ravioli, but I got too scared that it would fall apart if I boiled it. Instead, you get a baked ravioli!* Here's what I did for these bite-sized snacks:

Blueberry "Cheesecake" Raviolinis

Dough

1 tbs oil

1 tbs water

1 tbs almond milk

1 pkt stevia powder

1/3 cup almond meal

1/3 cup millet flour

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1/8 tsp salt

Filling

1/2 banana

1/3 cup blueberries

1/2 lemon juiced

1 tsp honey/agave

10 drops stevia

1/4 cup raw cashews

3 oz/85 g firm tofu

1 tbs tapioca starch

1. Combine dry dough ingredients in a bowl. Add in liquid ingredients and mix until a dough ball can be formed. Set aside.

2. Food process all filling ingredients. Yes, that's it. You can adjust the sweetener in either to fit your tastes.

3. Roll out dough to about 1/4" thickness. Cut into strips about 2" x 1". Fill one side with about 1sp filling. Fold dough over and crimp edges.**

4. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes until started to brown. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

* Does anyone have a good gluten-free vegan recipe for pasta dough???

** Filling is also fantastic as a cheesecake. Make a crust with almond meal, dates, agave, and bake filled crust until set.

Chocolate with a Soul

You are all aware of how much I love chocolate. And we're not talking about your Hershey's and Nestlé, but the good stuff. Chocolate that accounts for the social inequities inherent in cacao cultivation and sale; that is cultivated under conditions in line with natural ecosystem function; and that brings out the flavor and distinct qualities of the diverse cacao around the globe. Yes, I've expounded upon this topic many times in my blog, but this time time there's a twist. Welcome to Chocolate with a Soul!

Over the next month or two (or three?), we will get to know different bean-to-bar chocolate makers. What is this term, you say? Well, bean-to-bar refers to the process of making chocolate - from growing and harvesting the cacao to curing and roasting the beans to crafting a little piece of heaven. Now bean-to-bar does not necessarily indicate any particular ethical bent to the company, but I'm not targeting the major players like Cadbury-Schwepes, Mars, or Lindt. We will focus our attention on the little guys, those with a smaller market share, but a larger heart. This is just a heads up, so stay tuned for the first in the series coming up in the next few days!

Cocoa for Climate Change

I know. I am M.I.A. for a week and then I come back to the the scene with a preachy title. But this post may be slightly different from what you expected. Agriculture is an interesting field, because it not only will suffer severe consequences from a changing climate, but contributes to the causes of elevated greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Somewhere between 20-30% of global emissions come from deforestation, largely in the tropics.

In a recent blog post, the Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS) program of the CGIAR wrote about a study that examined the link between chocolate and GHGs that contribute to climate change. Slash-and-burn agriculture, where farmers cut down forest and then burn it to add the nutrients to the soil, has a long history of use in the tropics, where the soils are nutrient-poor. The report notes that in West African Guinea, in order to produce cacao in any usable quantity, farmers have to continually cut down swaths of forest, releasing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. A simple application of fertilizer would boost cacao yields and alleviate some of the pressure to expand plantations.

Now, I'm not saying that fertilizer is the answer. As the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food wrote this year, employing agroecological principles is one way to boost production without relying on industrial agricultural methods. But we forget that in the U.S., most of our food relies on fertilizer of some sort - chemical, organic, etc. Africa didn't benefit from the same yield increases Western, Asian, and even some Latin American countries experienced during the latter half of the 20th century. Many argue that too little fertilizer is used in Africa. I think the key here is how fertilizer is used - with more restrained and precise application.

So there's your food for thought, and here is your food to eat!

Adhoc Chocolate Beet Cake (vg, gf)

1/2 cup almond meal

1/3 cup millet flour

1/3 cup tapioca flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 medium red beet, cooked and pureed

1 tbs soy yogurt

1 tbs molasses

1 tbs coconut oil/vegetable oil

1/3 cup apple butter

1/2 cup almond milk

1/4 - 1/3 cup turbinado sugar

15-20 drops stevia (I used chocolate)

25 g dark chocolate, chopped

1. In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

2. Blend wet ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Pour into the bowl with dry ingredients. Mix to your heart's content (yay gluten-free foods!)

3. Fold in the chopped chocolate (be kind, use the good stuff). Pour mixture into greased ramekins. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes and then let cool slightly. I like it underdone, so leave in longer if you don't want a fudgey cake.

Stay tuned - chocolate with a soul series is on its way...

Ignorance is Bliss

...and knowledge is power. I suppose both of these can simultaneously be true, but I think that is not the case for food. While it may seem better to remain blissfully ignorant, enjoying tasty (ok, that's relative) and cheap food, it comes at the cost of a healthy body and environment. But at the same time, it is often overwhelming to confront the growing pool of information and think twice (or thrice...) about every piece of food that enters your mouth. As one who constantly reads about news and events related to food and agriculture as part of my job and at home, I tend to let these issues dominate my thoughts. Let me give you a peak into today's musings and the food item that led to them tonight.

I am confused. On the one hand, the food movement in this country seems centred around local and season products. Slow Food USA has blossomed in the past few years, emphasizing freshness, flavor, community, and traditions. The number of farmers markets in the United States more than doubled in the past ten years!

But getting your produce from the local market is not the be-all and end-all. First off, food miles (or the distance your food travels) is not the largest consumer of energy in your food (USDA found household preparation and processing to be the culprits). Second, farmers market produce does not necessarily equate to low pesticide or fertilizer use. However, it does offer the opportunity to ask the farmer these burning questions in person, and form a closer and more trusting relationship with the producer of your food.

Many farms are taking the organic or alternate production methods route. Organic certification sets specific standards for non-chemical fertilizer and pesticides, as well as no genetically modified organisms. Biodynamic agriculture and agroecology are two other approaches that attempt to work within the natural ecosystem function to produce food.

Finally, we happen to operate within a global food system. That means we can easily obtain coffee, cane sugar, chocolate, spices, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, etc. from anywhere in the world. With such power comes responsibility. Ecolabels are one way of helping consumers make more informed decisions about the social and environmental status of certain products. I've written a lot about fair trade lately, so I will refer you to those posts for more deets. In almost all cases - farmers markets, organics, fair trade, etc. - a slight (or not-so-slight) price premium may be realized in order to internalize the external cost of environmental degradation and social inequities.

But it's a complicated food world to navigate, despite Michael Pollan's Food Rules. And there are times when your wallet looks little haggard, the bank account a little slim, and you just don't want to know where that coconut came from. So, I present to you the cookies made in preparation for a hike, from ingredients for which I know nothing of the origin except the grocer. Now I don't often toot my own horn, but I have to say that this were quite exceptionally tasty little morsels.

Ignorance is Bliss Cookies

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup almond milk

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tbs molasses

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbs ground flaxseed

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2/3 - 1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 - 2/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds

1. Mix all liquid ingredients together. Add in dry ingredients until just incorporated. Then mix in seeds, fruit, and chocolate.

2. Spoon out mixture onto a lined or greased cookie sheet. Should make close to four dozen medium cookies. Bake at 350F for 14-16 minutes. Allow to cool before consuming!

UPDATE! These hardy cookies served as fuel for the hike my friends and I did in Shenandoah National Park. The seeds, oats, peanut butter, and whole wheat flour gave them nice flavor and a little more substance. Check these and more healthier recipes out at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday!