CHOCOLATE produced from Solomon Islands cacao beans, which are highly reputed in Japan as fruity and flavorful, have been selling in Japanese markets since their debut in 2020.
This was highlighted in a statement from the Japanese Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Asia Pacific Sustainable Development (APSD) yesterday.
APSD started its work in Solomon Islands around 2000 by supporting the reconstruction of communities affected by the ethnic conflict that took place in the country from 1997 to 2000, As part of its work, the APSD established a Rural Training Centre (RTC) in Fiu Village, Malaita Province, to support its operations.
APSD celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2020 and as part of its 20th anniversary project, it launched the first chocolate from Solomon Islands into the Japanese market. The launching was made from Solomon Islands due to the COVID-19 pandemic international travel restrictions.
This project is one of the activities, linking sustainable development and the circular economy that is being promoted with the support of Cosmo Energy Holdings in Japan.
A representative of the company, Kenji Ito remarked that, “Solomon Islands cacao beans are fruity and flavorful. It is highly evaluated that not only are they environmentally friendly and pesticide-free, but there is also no concern about child labor, which is found in other countries’ production areas.”
Mr Ito said whilst there are problems with costs related to logistics and variations in quality, improvements can be made and there is a great deal of potential for the for the industry for Solomon Islands.
The project has also established a small satellite shop in Japan and continues to evaluate cacao beans and test products. He expressed his hope to accept trainees from the Solomon Islands RTC as an industrial training center in Japan in the future.
