Background

Inhabitants of Central America first produced a chocolate drink from fermented cocoa beans over 3,000 years ago.     ​        

Spanish explorers brought the new beverage to European countries which later introduced cocoa trees in their tropical colonies of Africa and Asia.  The harvesting, fermentation and drying methods of cocoa beans have remained largely the same ever since.

Today, the demand for chocolate is large and continues to grow…

• $98 billion in worldwide sales of confectionery items alone estimated in 2016
  

… as does its sole key ingredient:

• 4.2 million metric tons of cocoa bean estimated for shipment worldwide in 2016

70% of the world’s supply of cocoa bean comes from the tropical rain forests of West Africa.

• The remaining supply is from a number of countries in Asia and Latin America.

​Over 3 million smallholder farmers in West Africa alone are estimated  to make their living harvesting, fermenting and drying cocoa bean.

• They typically work 2-3 hectares of land and earn about $700-800 per year.                              
  
• Worldwide estimate for the number of cocoa farmers is 4-5 million.        

The sustainability of cocoa - apart from even the possibility of increased supply - depends mostly on the improved productivity, efficiency and security of cocoa farmers themselves.

• Only the farmer decides whether to care for the trees, how best to ferment the beans, and if continuing with cocoa as a cash crop is better for the family compared to another crop or moving to the city.
  

A new hand tool is required - one that replaces the machete and substantially helps the cocoa farmer improve the quality of dried cocoa bean for world markets and, in turn, benefit the family's livelihood.