Entry: Holly Houston and Catherine Alston
As our first blog entry and first time attending a WCF sponsored event, we would like to first introduce ourselves to the cocoa community. We, Holly Houston and Catherine Alston, are excited to have recently joined the World Cocoa Foundation as part of the new Cocoa Livelihoods Program which Bill detailed in his February 19th entry. The multi-faceted program is steadily ramping up in West and Central Africa and we are thrilled to be a part of this effort that promises to have great impact on cocoa farming dependent communities.
The picturesque US Botanic Garden here in Washington, DC hosted our “Chocolate from the Rainforest” event last Thursday night. There was a great turn-out of attendees including H.E. Ambassador Koffi of Cote d’Ivoire, H.E. Ambassador Parnohadiningrat of Indonesia, H.E. Ambassador Gaa of the Philippines, and supporters from the Department of State, USAID, and USDA / ARS. Cocoa industry leaders were also in attendance as well as WCF partner organizations; we are grateful for their continued support and interest.
Holly Shimizu, Executive Director of the US Botanic Garden, kicked off the evening highlighting the new cocoa displays at the Garden, including the informative “New Age of Chocolate” exhibit that details the latest scientific research on chocolate. Be sure to check it out on your next visit!
Bill Guyton and Tracey Duffey welcomed the attendees, including one first-time visitor to Washington, DC – our newest Cocoa Borlaug fellow, Muhammad Junaid from Indonesia who has been in the US for a little over a week working with his mentor Gary Samuels from the USDA/ARS. We welcome Junaid and are excited to see the fruits of this partnership.
Wanda Collins, Director of Plant Sciences at the USDA/ARS, emphasized the importance of sustainability for the cocoa farming industry – cocoa is a crucial element for numerous complimentary agricultural industries in the US and is the principal source of income for many developing countries’ citizens. Commitment and investment to scientific research, farmer capacity building, and supply chain improvements are necessary to the future of the industry. Such commitment was represented by Thursday night’s attendees and we are grateful for the continued support by industry, NGO, and government leaders.
A chocolate event would not be complete of course without the enjoyment of consumption! A true aficionado of all things chocolate, Ed Seguine, Chocolate Research Fellow of Mars Chocolate North America, offered a wonderful tasting of dark chocolate from around the world – West Africa, Venezuela, Madagascar/Peru, Trinidad and the Philippines. The night concluded on a delicious note with a variety of flavors from nutty to floral – all beautifully described and skillfully guided by Mr. Seguine.
