The Trinitario Cocoa Webinar Series 2022

The Trinitario Cocoa Webinar Series 2022

This 3-part webinar series was conceptualized and hosted by InvesTT under the purview of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, in collaboration with the European Union Delgation to Trinidad and Tobago and Caribbean Export Development Agency. Each episode explored different aspects of the Cocoa Industry in the twin island republic with the first focused on exploring cocoa opportunities in T&T. The second episode focused on T&T as a center for cocoa excellence and the series wrapped up with the final of the 3 episodes focused on matching youth entrepreneurs and scale-up businesses in the cocoa industry with corporate sponsors as a means of accelerating their project growth. On this page you will have access to all the material shared throughout the series, links to each webinar recording, as well as industry resources.

About the Webinar Series

Trinidad and Tobago produces the finest cocoa, boasts the largest inventory of cocoa plant material (The International Cocoa Genebank) and is home to the oldest cocoa research facility in the world. Trinitario cocoa is highly sought after by cocoa and chocolate connoisseurs around the world, fetching premium prices. For the countries of the EU where approximately 50% of the world’s chocolate is consumed, the opportunity to access a larger volume of the most sought-after cocoa variety in the world is highly desirable. For Trinidad and Tobago, expansion of the cocoa industry would be a boon for the economy. 

It is in this context that the European Union Delegation collaborated with InvesTT, the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries to contribute to the revitalization of the cocoa industry. This unique webinar series brings together stakeholders in Trinidad and Tobago with some of the largest business organizations in Europe (for chocolatiers, cocoa connoisseurs and investors) to explore new and emerging opportunities for collaboration, financing and sustainability across the cocoa supply chain.

Episode 3: The Cocoa Pitch

Overview

The grand finale (Episode 3) of the Trinitario Cocoa Webinar Series entitled The Cocoa Pitch was held on Wednesday 28th September 2022, from 9:30 am to 12:30 noon (AST).

The Cocoa Pitch took the form of a “Shark Tank” styled business pitch event, featuring cocoa entrepreneurs/enterprises in the following categories:

  1. Youth Start-Ups – Youth founders producing products or services within a cocoa enterprise or cocoa estate farm.

  2. Medium-sized Cocoa SMEs – Mid-sized cocoa entrepreneurs or/cooperatives with a potential to scale up.

Seven (7) cocoa entrepreneurs/farmers, including two (2) special projects, pitched live, a 3-minute business case presentation to a group of distinguished investors and a live virtual audience with the goal of securing and accessing technical and capacity-building support, mentorship, gaining access to funding/finance or networking partners, to start-up or scale business operations.

View the full webinar recording here

Episode 2: Trinidad and Tobago - An International Centre for Cocoa Excellence and Innovation

Overview

The second installation of the three-part webinar series was held on Wednesday 25th May, 2022. In addition to featured remarks from senior government officials, participants were privy to a wealth of first-hand expert information from members of two panel discussions. Cocoa Excellence in Trinidad and Tobago and Trailblazing Women Cocoa Entrepreneurs in Trinidad and Tobago

View the full webinar recording here

Webinar Excerpts

Meet some trail-blazing women entrepreneurs in T&T!

Elizabeth 'Lady' Montano - Director, Montanos' Chocolate Company

View her video

Isabel Brash - Chocolate Maker & Managing Director, Cocobel Chocolate

View her video

Nikita Nath - Director & Bean to Bar Chocolate Maker, Ortinola Great House

View her video

 

Episode 1: Exploring Opportunities in a Fine/Flavour Cocoa Paradise

Overview

Hosted by InvesTT and the Delegation of the European Union to Trinidad and Tobago Episode 1 brought together over 400 participants including European chocolatiers and cocoa connoisseurs, T&T SMEs, cocoa farmers, cooperatives, researchers, innovators, exporters and T&T Government leaders to share and explore new and emerging opportunities for collaboration, financing and sustainability across the cocoa supply chain, on Wednesday 16th February 2022.

Key Takeaways

Trinitario fine/flavour cocoa – bean to bar opportunities in production, processing and value-added products

Emerging opportunities in fine flavour cocoa innovation and sustainability

Pivotal role of the International Cocoa Genebank in Trinidad

Joint venture/foreign investment opportunities

B2B opportunities with European chocolatiers

 
Panellists

• Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Trade and Industry

• Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries

• His Excellency Peter Cavendish, Ambassador - Delegation of the European Union to Trinidad and Tobago

• Ms. Franka Costelloe - Chairman, InvesTT

• Professor Pathmanathan Umaharan, Director - Cocoa Research Centre, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago

Session Moderator - Ms. Jessie-May Ventour - Veteran Broadcaster.

Click here for Episode 1 speaker profiles.

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