Page 23 - IB July 2021

Vanuatu

Aelan chocolate
TINY BUT TASTY

AELAN CHOCOLATE MAKERS GLOBAL SUCCESS
By Samantha Magick with the COVID now, we reduced more than 60% of the
market because we don’t have any more tourists. It’s only the
Vanuatu chocolate maker, Aelan hopes to launch a regional local market and the remaining export market that we try to
chocolate and cacao competition this year as a way of pro- reach.”
moting high-quality chocolate from across the Pacific Islands In response, Aelan is working with the Australian Centre for
region. International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) on a concept for a
“We’re quite tiny compared to big cocoa producers” says South Pacific cocoa competition.
Aelan Chocolate Makers director, Sandrine Wallez. “We will try to make this competition to promote the
They may be small, but they’re respected. Aelan’s recent Pacific cacao and produce chocolate that could be distributed
international accolades include five gold, and two silver in Australia. So at least, try to develop a local network and
medals at the Japan Food Awards this month. The recognition local market instead of looking too far away. With COVID it’s
comes on the heels of its high ranking at the first ‘Chocolates nightmare to reach a market and also very expensive. So, we
elaborated at Origin International Contest’ in Paris earlier this don’t have any more passengers, the air freight has been like
year. through the roof and it’s really killing us in terms of market
The business moved from exporting cacao beans to making access.”
chocolate in 2013 after two years of research and develop- “We have already found a distributor that is interested to
ment. Aelan, which means ‘island’ in Bislama, was selected distribute the Pacific product, the chocolate, but now we try
because the founders thought it was a good way to represent to make a bit of noise about it.”
producer groups from right across Vanuatu. Prior to border closures, Aelan’s chocolate factory tours
The company describes itself as a social enterprise, with generated a significant proportion of the businesses’ income.
the chocolate and other commodities (coconut oil, kava, “We used to be partnered with P&O, you know the big cruise
spices) sourced from across Vanuatu funding the Alternative ships where we were distributing our chocolate on board as
Communities Trade in Vanuatu (ACTIV) organisation. well [as doing day tours]. So we lost the distribution on P&O,
Aelan Chocolates’ main markets are Japan and New Caledo- and we lost the tourists, the visitors coming from P&O.”
nia. Breaking into the Japanese market was quite tough and Aelan has adjusted in other ways, adding different sizes to
began with their participation in a 2018 food expo. Getting their range (which they hope will reduce shipping costs) and
certification and assistance from trade facilitation bodies changing packaging to reflect more Pacific vegetation.
helped. While certification has been key, it is an involved and Wallez hopes initiatives such as the regional chocolate and
expensive process Wallez says. cacao competition will help island nations respond to the
“Actually, it’s a lot of documentation that we’re not used blow dealt by the halt to tourism. “Air Vanuatu is in serious
to, in our own traditional way of doing business. You have to trouble at the moment so we do not even know if we can
report everything, you have to record everything you’re mak- maintain our national airline. It will be a disaster if we do not
ing in your formula, any change in your building, any change have it anymore because it means for all, there is no ship-
in your recipe, all the entrants, all the trustability of your ment, especially a product like chocolate because it’s temper-
product, all the contamination control, pest control. So you ature-controlled, it would be a nightmare to export it if we do
have different criteria that you stick to, and then you have to not have any more airline.
produce a manual of operation that they can check.” “So COVID is not only affecting our tourism but also all
other aspects of the economy around the Pacific Islands. We
Breaking into the Australian market hope that with this small regional competition we will try to
“We used to export to Oxfam in Australia before they closed join forces to make the Pacific more recognised in the region
their shop. So now, we’re looking for finding a new distributor and especially in Australia.”
in Australia and New Zealand as well,” Wallez says.
COVID has seen production drop by more than half. “We editor@islandsbusiness.com
used to make roughly 500 kilos a month before COVID. So,

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