For the industry to thrive on a small island, citizens should be stakeholders and feel part of its success.
Youth may get involved in all aspects of farming and production, and employment opportunities abound. Above, hardworking chocolatiers Anthony, Nikita and Keistal.
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business viable. SVCC is also planting a variety of timber species such as Melina and Mahogany. These complementary crops provide secure, longer term income, and diversifies their business away from just growing one crop. Such practices bring environmental benefits and help stabilize the steep farming terrain in St Vincent while providing the shade much needed by cocoa plants in their early years of establishment. The SVCC is creating an inclusive and sustainable long-term approach to the cocoa supply chain in St Vincent by only growing the best quality, high-yielding, fine-flavoured cocoa, in an agroforestal system, ensuring it is 100% traceable and ethically sourced, providing advice, support, financial aid, training and free young plantlets to its farmers, and well-controlled, consistent fermentation and drying of cocoa for export. They have invested heavily in infrastructure, having built a nursery and drying facility and they have built offices in Kingtown. SVCC wishes to meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations so; infrastructure, farmers and citizens of SVG are of paramount importance. The company also works closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and The Hon. Saboto Caesar who is particularly supportive of the initiative. The company is looking to lease lands from the government as this relationship develops. Whilst its main business is farming, with a view to exporting high-grade cocoa to overseas markets, SVCC appreciates that for the industry to thrive on a small island, citizens should be stakeholders and feel part of its success. SVCC formed the St Vincent Chocolate Company in 2015 to manufacture and sell chocolate in
St. Vincent