THE HISTORY OF BLANCPAIN

ART DE VIVRE
Though Madagascar’s production is very
low (about 5,000 metric tons), it is highly
sought-after. It is unique on the market in
that it has freed itself from the bonds of
world prices, and the price per metric ton
(2,500 euros) is double that of cocoa from
the Ivory Coast (1,300 euros).
Unlike the price of cocoa from other producing
countries, that of Madagascar’s product
is not negotiated and does not fluctuate
on the exchange. Thanks to the cocoa’s
sensory qualities, it has a typical aroma and
taste that are very desirable to chocolate
makers. The success of Madagascar’s cocoa
also arises from its exotic side: the very name
“Madagascar” makes one dream, and
therefore is a selling point from a marketing
perspective. In addition, the island has
organically certified plantations, which are
still rare.
So there are many advantages, which
give much reason to hope provided that
the industry works its way up by implementing
sustainability standards for
producing quality cocoa that is traceable
and certifiable, with specifications for
the rules of production. In Europe, large
importers such as Ecom are acting as
liaisons between the cooperatives and
the final users, and are making technical and
financial commitments to help the cooperatives
take the road to sustainable production.
The same philosophy is found at Lindt
& Sprüngli, which is involved in projects
touching on social, economic and ecological
aspects. The Swiss company also supports
universities that are working on agronomic
improvements for the plantations.
Mathieu Vidal, then the head of Ecom
purchasing for Africa, met with Florian
Noviasy while in Ambanja. “I wanted to
meet parties involved in the cocoa industry.
Our company is rather involved in fair trade
and we have several initiatives going along
that line. We are looking for cocoa produced
under sustainable social, economic
and environmental conditions. In this context,
we are working with some planters’
cooperatives that have the ability to process
and send the raw material to the FOB (free
on board) point, which implies that the
cooperative itself is an exporter. It is in our
interest to defend the interests of the cooperatives.”
The same story is told in
Kilchberg, where the talk is of a “win-win”
situation, meaning that, from production to
processing, there is something in it for
everyone. Mathieu Vidal feels that ADAPS’