Update on fine chocolates

Wow! I sent off an email to Lucienne's last night, and got a very prompt response from one of her business partners, Terry (who it turns out I've met -- he runs sound for several local music venues.) They chose Rainforest Alliance certification because it's broader in scope than Fair Trade USA's -- they're concerned about the long-term environmental sustainability of the business, and its impact on the rainforest ecosystem, as well as the economic considerations that Fair Trade USA focusses on. He shared the name of their supplier, but asked me not to publicize that because they're also a chocolate retailer and a potential competitor. Suffice it to say that I found the supplier's website highly informative, and I'm happy to be supporting them.

In the process, I learned a whole lot about the Ecuadoran chocolate industry. This facebook page contains a summary of the history, which helped to put the supplier's information into perspective. It seems that the Arriba Nacional cocoa trees, native to Ecuador, are a different species than the most common commercial varieties. Arriba trees are -- for obvious reasons -- more compatible with the local ecosystem, but they have much lower productivity, so economic pressures were forcing farmers to replace them with commercial hybrids. Enter the Rainforest Alliance, whose involvement with Ecuadoran chocolate appears to have sparked a renaissance of artisanal chocolate companies that have learned to capitalize on the unique and distinctive flavor of the native beans.

Lucienne's buys already processed chocolate from a small Ecuadoran supplier, who works directly with local cocoa farmers instead of buying their beans on the commodity market. This makes it possible to pay a much higher price for the beans, so the farmers are able to continue using the native trees and to meet Rainforest Alliance standards. They also train the farmers in harvesting and fermentation techniques that improve the quality of the beans, so they are able to compete in the fine chocolate industry instead of selling cheaply on the bulk market.

So, that leaves open the question of why the two certification agencies seem to be involved in such controversy. I found extensive information on Wikipedia about the fair trade debate, including criticisms both of Fair Trade USA and of the Rainforest Alliance. I didn't read them closely, partly because they were dense and partly because they were icky. I guess the gist of the situation is that it reminds me of the stock caricature of the political left, which says we're unable to get anything done because of runaway factionalism. No one person's version of the Right Way To Do Things matches anyone else's, which is a hallmark of independent thinkers, but it also makes for unnecessary conflict.

I've been confused for some time now about the certifications that show up on different chocolate bars, and I feel just slightly better equipped now. As with other foods, it seems to come down to a specific sense of how a specific company does business, which can only be obtained through relationship with the individual. I feel like I've gotten past the advertising copy and into the names and faces and details of what was previously an unknown, anonymous product. And I'm glad I did.