Chocolate Insights 12-10-14

Chocolate Insights

12-10-14

Summary:

• This was a set of two films that were related. 
• Video #1: Showed how little we know about how we get our food and what our food is made from. People in the Netherlands were shown a cacao (there is a difference between cacao and cocoa) fruit and asked what they thought it was. None of the people in the video could recognize what it was.
• Video #2: Cacao farmers were asked what happens to what they harvest. They had no clue. They didn't know what happened to the cacao after it left their farm. They said they knew it was made in to some kind of food that was supposedly delicious. One of them said they had been told it was was turned into wine! They were invited to try the chocolate and they loved it (of course)!

Before watching the video I knew what a cacao fruit/pod looked like, but had never given a thought to whether or not cacao farmers knew what was done to what they produced. I hadn't really even thought about the farmers before. Chocolate was just something that magically appeared in my life, with the sole purpose of making life enjoyable. I was absolutely amazed that the farmers didn't even know what happened to what they grew and harvested. I would have thought that they were told that, even if they hadn't been able to try it before. 

For me, it completely exposed the fact that people in other parts of the world today have totally different lives. Access to chocolate has never been something I've thought about. I began to wonder how much we actually have that these farmers didn't. How many things do I have that I consider to be a necessity for existence (such as chocolate), that they live without just fine? They seemed to be like very happy people and manage it without all the stuff that clutters our lives. Then again, there are probably a few things that would help them in their daily lives that they don't have access to. Maybe some of these things are things they don't need, but some of them might be. In summary, this video really got me thinking about the differences between life in countries at varying levels of development. 

My reaction was bitter sweet -like chocolate- because I loved how happy the chocolate made the farmers, and I loved that they got to try chocolate. However, I was disappointed by our ignorance of where our food comes from (this isn't to say that I'm not just as ignorant as everybody else when it comes to other food) and the fact that these workers don't get to see or at least know what all their hard work is put towards. I think we should try to learn more about what we eat and where comes from and how it's produced. 

It would be fantastic if an organization was started with the purpose of getting workers to have a taste of what the fruits of their work are, whether they are farmers, factory workers, or something entirely different (and also make sure that they are being paid and treated fairly for what they do). Even better, the organization would work on informing the consumers on what they buy in everyday life, whether it's where their chocolate comes from or home the workers are treated. And finally: Maybe we should start using "access to chocolate and similar luxuries"  as a major measurement of how developed a country is.  :)

The website with the two chocolate videos.

Random chocolate statistics and information:

And finally:

(even though correlation doesn't equal causation)

And a random chocolate picture and gif to finish on a happy note... 

IMAGES

http://images.picturesdepot.com/photo/l/lots_of_chocolate-11552.gif 

http://www.yourveglife.com/sites/default/files/cacao_produces.jpg

http://blog.thomsonreuters.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/chocolate-1024x756.jpg

http://www.wickedgoodies.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Guide-to-Chocolate-Production-2-by-Wicked-Goodies.jpg

http://www.knoll-mb.de/fileadmin/knoll_mb/aktuelles/bilder/Pressemitteilungen/B01_Knoll_Ritter_Sport_AlpenmilchKurve.jpg

http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/draft/images/choc_manu_chart.gif

http://eyapolitics.pbworks.com/f/1398480154/chocolate1.png

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYQTf1cg_btcJGZMB-hlFlQ0ofBfwEajWBQxAJyDMMZnr_gxI27dAGcDqxxTR0q3lqYke2_GyAKbz7j4y1xUg-cJsx8WiH6AHNzpxOSWbrGv0Bk_O_7ErUpOjsBztwNM4-5kuO-7fVNk/s1600/international_chocolate_organizations_bg.png

http://www.foodess.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/DSC_0215.jpg

http://elgrancatador.imujer.com/sites/elgrancatador.imujer.com/files/imagecache/completa/Licor-de-chocolate-casero-1.jpg

http://imgls.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/3-chocolate-logo3.jpg

http://irecommend.ru.q5.r-99.com/sites/default/files/product-images/2473/X5SibtQJWrCHHGeIBK5Xw.jpg

http://yoism.reality-movement.org/media/Chocolate-Frog.gif