Low carbon-footprint chocolate factory Posted on 15 March 2019 The Ivory Coast has a unique chocolate factory that uses a ‘grinding bike’ to turn cocoa beans into a paste. Mon Choco’s factory is run by Dana Mroueh, a 40-year-old Ivorian entrepreneur who keeps a watchful eye on the entire chocolate-making process. Mon Choco prides itself on its unique sustainability practices. A grinding bike sits in the centre of the factory and is the crux of the chocolate production. ‘The bicycle grinder is an opportunity for us to practice our eco-friendly philosophy. We really want to have a minimal impact on the environment by using minimal electricity, and combine it with a short workout which also makes it a playful process,’ Mroueh explained to Reuters Africa. View this post on Instagram A post shared by MonChoco 🍫 (@monchoco_artisanchocolatier) on Mar 14, 2019 at 1:34am PDT What adds to this unique practice is the flavour of the chocolate. Instead of including additives to the to the beans or roasting them, Mon Choco simply creates raw chocolate. This allows the flavour to be as authentic as possible. ‘We are artisanal chocolatiers, so our process is manual, from the cocoa pods to the final product of packaging the chocolate tablets. One of our trademarks is that we do not roast the cocoa pods, we use raw chocolate. That enables the cocoa pods to retain its flavours and nutritional values,’ says Mroueh. These practices come at a time where the commercial cocoa industry poses a major threat to the natural forests of the Ivory Coast. Reuters Africa reports that environmental campaign groups have estimated that by 2034 all the forests will disappear in the Ivory Coast. This will be a direct result of deforestation from the cacao industry. Image source: Screenshot Africa News YouTube Related Posts Cape Town’s sustainability: Leading the way in environmental initiatives 1 June 2023 As National Environmental Month commences in South Africa, Cape Town stands proudly at the forefront... read more Kapama to host Safari Guide of the Year Awards 2023 1 June 2023 Kapama Private Game Reserve near Hoedspruit will host this year’s Safari Guide of the Year... read more Blood Lions relaunches for public viewing on YouTube 1 June 2023 Award-winning documentary feature film Blood Lions has been relaunched on YouTube for public viewing, creating... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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