It is not rare to hear that cocoa farmers haven't tried chocolate though they produces the raw materials of chocolate by themselves.
Then we are likely to talk about how unfair this world is, capitalism causes or even expands inequality, buyers in the North have price negotiation power while the producers in the South do not have, resulting in the exploitation of the former towards the latter...
What the hell!!!???
you can say anything, you can blame the current system, you can attribute this reality of unfairness to any factors surrounding us....but no matter how hard you shout, the situation won't change. your word is so powerless however loud you speak out, unless you actually make an action.
Dari K puts " changing the world with cacao " as its slogan. but we are not doing anything so special or extraordinary, unfortunately.
We simply do what we can do, do what we believe we can improve the situation.
Check out this 5-min long short movie clip. we made chocolate together with the farmers, using their cocoa beans, sugar and coconut milk, which of course are produced in their locations.
It took just two hours from the beginning of demonstration to the end of tasting self-made chocolate. then their view towards cocoa beans, the crop they grow, totally changed. The cocoa beans are no longer something they grow just to make a living with, but they are now something they use to make a chocolate cake for their kids' birthdays and something they use when they make a kue (local snacks/cake).
They now do know how to make chocolate, and how delicious it can be without any special equipment. chocolate should be a special product of Indonesia, Ghana, Ivory coast etc instead of Belgium, Netherland or France!
Suddenly after the long hectic Valentine's period, I miss the people in Sulawesi, i got nostalgic and feel like going BACK to the village again.
I miss YOU guys in Bantaeng and Polewari!! Now is the time I make and give you the chocolate there=)