Albertus Eskes has made it his life’s work to breed highly resistant and high-yielding plants that are so easy to grow that time- and labor-intensive processes in cocoa production can be eliminated.
This also ensures that many of the cocoa bean’s healthy nutrients are preserved in the chocolate.
“Bertus will then continue experimenting with various fermentation processes on a cocoa farm. Are you coming along?” Reto asks me. This was shortly after I had met Albertus Eskes at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris. A driven man, obsessed with the idea of making the world a better place with chocolate. So, off to Ilhéus, Brazil.
Upon our arrival in Ilhéus, a worried and frazzled Albertus confesses that something is wrong with the beans—the data just doesn’t match their expectations. At 6:00 a.m. the following morning, we set off for the cocoa farm, an hour-and-a-half drive away. Arriving on-site, Albertus walks purposefully toward Building 7, where the farm staff are already waiting. They open crate after crate, tasting the cocoa beans together. The moment a sparkle lights up Albertus’s eyes, we realize we are witnessing a small revolution in production technology.
