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The delicious Malagasy chocolate is going to be stocked in 350 Sainsbury's stores as of next week. The UK chocolate maker is behind the Equitrade idea, which takes Fairtrade one step further and stipulates that a finished product should be completely produced in the country of origin.
Rather than simply buying cocoa beans from Madagascar under Fairtrade rules, Malagasy makes its chocolate in the country too, creating even more local jobs and more tax revenue for the government. This approach is also said to improve the taste as much as it does the local economy.
We had a chat with Neil Kelsall, managing director of Malagasy: "From an ethical point of view, producing fine chocolate is like producing fine wine. You get your grapes from France, and you ferment the grapes into a fine wine in the country of origin. You do not export fermented grapes into another part of the world to make a fine wine. Normally, with cocoa, you grow it there and ferment it, but the ludicrous thing is that you then export a fermented bean half way around the world to turn it into a chocolate bar."
Two different bars will be available in the stores -- Mora Mora, meaning 'take it easy, enjoy and savour' in Malagasy, has a 73 per cent cocoa content and a mellow, fruity flavour, while Sambirano has a 75 per cent cocoa content and an intense, but not too bitter flavour. Sambirano is the name of the small river valley where all of the the beans used in the bar are collected.
This care and attention to manufacturing comes at a price, though. An 85g bar will cost between £3.25 and £3.50 in Sainsbury’s. Malagasy hopes that UK chocoholics will learn to appreciate higher-quality, higher-cost chocolate over normal confectionary. "Confectionary is like buying a lager, where as fine chocolate is like buying a fine wine," says Kelsall.
The Equitrade foundation has been founded by Malagasy itself, so claims of being the world's first Equitrade product should be taken with a pinch of salt. However, providing more local jobs and income -- and making something this tasty at the same time -- should be commended.
There may also be a beneficial side effect to Malagasy's operations, which could mean that a greater supply for chocolate will help the environment. Cocoa beans need rainforests to grow; the shady and humid conditions are perfect for them. Because of this, Malagasy -- and the Madagascan government -- have a vested interest in making sure that what is left remains safe.
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