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Chocolate is among the most loved pleasure food in the world. It is considered to create a pleasant “happy feeling” and helps reduce stress to many people who eats and smells it. To some, it serves as an excellent moisturizer and is believed to give skin a healthy glow when used as a massage cream or body scrub. However, according to Switzerland's Barry Callebaut Group, there could be a deficit in chocolate as early as 2020 due to its increasing demand while its raw material supply is decreasing. So, how is this possible?
Chocolate is a product of fermented cocoa or cacao beans. Cocoa or cacao (Theobroma cacao, L) is native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America and has been introduced as a crop in many Asian countries including the Philippines. According to The Washington Post, the norm now is that farmers produces less cocoa than the world eats, thus causing the shortage in chocolates in year 2020.
Have you ever dreamt of indulging yourself into a mouth-watering chocolate cake or truffles as a dessert after a delicious meal? Or imagined treating yourself into a luxurious chocolate spa treatment after a very stressful day? Or probably drinking a cup of hot chocolate while watching the rain drops? Well, guess what? In the year 2020, those dreams and imaginations may no longer become a reality.
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| Photo taken from http://chh-convest11.blogspot.com (Goodness of Chocolate) |
Chocolate is a product of fermented cocoa or cacao beans. Cocoa or cacao (Theobroma cacao, L) is native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America and has been introduced as a crop in many Asian countries including the Philippines. According to The Washington Post, the norm now is that farmers produces less cocoa than the world eats, thus causing the shortage in chocolates in year 2020.
In the Philippines alone, the demand for chocolate and other cocoa products is already increasing while the supply of cacao is decreasing causing some manufacturers to import the raw material from other countries. Hence, with these concerns, local agribusiness and stakeholders in the country is shifting its focus to cacao industry. Moreover, a national strategy was envisioned to develop “a competitive and sustainable Philippine Cacao Industry,” considering that the climatic conditions and soil characteristics in the country are favorable to cacao production. As a matter of fact, a Cacao Industry Value Chain had been formulated at the regional level wherein cacao industry stakeholders were identified and consulted with respect to their roles and contribution to the development of the industry.
In Biliran province, the Department of Trade and Industry facilitated the conduct of “Organization of the Provincial Cacao Industry Development Council and Cacao Value Chain Localization Workshop” held at the Fragoch Tourist Inn, Naval, Biliran last August 25, 2016. The activity was an offshoot of the Cacao Summit conducted in Southern Leyte and its main objective was to bring together provincial partners from the local cacao farmers and processors, LGUs, NGAs, SUCs and other stakeholders to establish support mechanisms for the development of the Cacao Industry in Biliran. Among the provincial partners identified is the DOST through PSTC- Biliran. As prime movers in S&T, DOST’s role in the cacao industry will be focused on the following: (1) upgrading of equipment for production of cocoa products; (2) technical assistance on GMP, FDA licensing and product standards; (3) technological support on food testing laboratory (for fermentation); and other activities related to S&T that could help improve the cacao industry in the Province.
During the activity, current global status of the Cacao Industry was presented highlighting our country’s contribution in the production and consumption of cacao. The Eastern Visayas Regional Cacao Industry Value Chain was also presented for the stakeholders to identify the assistance they can offer for the cacao industry in the province. In addition, the activity was conducted to organize and activate the Biliran Provincial Cacao Industry Development Council, thus a set of council officers –the President, Vice President, and Secretary- were elected. The activity ended with the signing of the Commitment of Support by the activity’s participants in order to seal their commitment to help and support the programs, activities and projects for the development of cacao industry in Biliran province.
Anticipating the positive effect of the combined efforts of all the provincial partners and the council, it is believed that the province can be of help not only to the country but also to the world in halting the foreseen shortage of cacao in the year 2020.