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Just throwing this out there as a prediction: Brazil will be the nation with the highest percentage of women working in the chocolate industry… Never before have I seen the presence of so many women working side by side in a single industry as I do now in Brazil’s chocolate sector.
-Luisa Abram
This week, we go into the issue of Millennials, investigating whether or not this demographic really exists, and if it does, we investigate the effect that Millennials have had on the speciality chocolate market. What does a product that seems to be as straightforward and ubiquitous as a chocolate bar have to do with the overarching issues of globalism and health? You will hear from four young individuals in this episode, each of them will share a distinct aspect of the narrative of how Millennials became such a vital part of the gourmet chocolate business, regardless of whether or not Millennials exist.
Here is the article that served as the impetus for this episode.
Topics We Cover
- Who exactly are these Millennials?
- Which three factors have contributed to a greater number of young individuals entering the artisan chocolate industry?
- A concise overview of the history of artisanal chocolate (AKA bean to bar chocolate or specialty chocolate)
- Creating markets for chocolate and cacao in nations still on the path to economic growth
- The demographic breakdown of handmade chocolate consumers in terms of age and gender in the future
Show Timeline
- 0:00-0:15~ Show intro
- 0:23-3:08~ Episode intro
- 3:19-5:25~ Defining Millennials
- 5:25-11:28~ How context and opportunity to access technology changes a person
- 11:50-13:34~ Background on craft chocolate
- 13:34-17:16~ Millennials helping to build up the specialty chocolate industry in India, and using the health angle & locality of Indian chocolate in order to educate the public about their products.
- 17:16-20:16~ The future of chocolate making and cocoa farming in India
- 20:25-24:47~ The struggles & rewards of building chocolate and cocoa businesses in Brazil, almost from scratch, with young people increasingly interested in learning the trade.
- 24:47-26:40~ Brazilian farmers returning to their family’s land and working to transform the Brazilian cacao landscape.
- 26:55-27:43~ Knowledge sharing within the industry as a way to further specialty chocolate around the world.
- 27:43-29:30~ The influence of Millennials upon the global food landscape.
- 29:30-31:00~ Final thoughts and a message to all of us
- 31:00-32:23~ Outro with thanks to guests— please subscribe!
Our Guests
Hult Chocolate Society in London, England was established by Jonas Rosales Tejero, who is also a current Master of International Business candidate at Hult International Business School. Visit the Hult Chocolate Society’s Facebook and Instagram pages for more information.
Arun Viswanathan, a resident of Coimbatore, India, is both a chocolatier and the creator of three distinct chocolate companies. Look at his Facebook and Instagram if you’re interested.
Luisa Abram is a chocolate producer originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She is considered to be one of the pioneers of the bean-to-bar movement in Brazil. Check out her Website, as well as her Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Michael Ryan is now working as the project manager for OmNom Chocolate in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. Visit OmNom’s website, as well as their Facebook and Instagram pages.
Resources Mentioned
Millennials In Chocolate article: https://damecacao.com/millennials-in-chocolate-around-the-world/
Millennials Don’t Buy Canned Tuna: https://www.wsj.com/articles/tuna-makers-look-to-hook-younger-consumers-1543766400
