Colombia has prioritized cacao not only for its quality, but also because it offers the country a chance to improve farmer livelihoods, bring security to growing regions, and expand its presence on the global stage.

University of Missouri-Columbia student Alan McClure, PMCA’s 2018-2019 grant-in-aid recipient, has completed his research project, “Optimization of Bitterness in Chocolate Through Roasting with Analysis of Related Changes in Important Bitter Compounds.”

London-based design studio PriestmanGoode has unveiled new designs using cacao industry byproduct to help reduce plastic packaging used in takeaway food deliveries.

These chocolate snacks are made from organic ingredients including tropical fruits and superfoods.

In February, Associate Editor Alyse Thompson visited Finca El Cacao, a 2,500-hectare cocoa plantation in Nicaragua owned and operated by Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG. The company, eager to open up its supply chain and highlight its progress in the Central American country, brought Alyse and German journalists to the plantation to show them how they do things.

Harvard professor Carla Martin is concerned with the ethics behind chocolate, particularly in terms of labor, politics and human rights. She says chocolate is springboard for discussing and addressing these issues.