A group of cacao farmers in Solomon Islands are undergoing a training programme to become the country's first chocolate makers.
The training, which has already taken place in Hawaii and Vanuatu, is being conducted by Nat Bletter and David Elliot, the co-founders of the award winning Madre chocolate in Hawaii.
Madre Chocolate co-founder, Nat Bletter. Photo: Madre Chocolate
Mr Bletter says local beans are normally exported to bigger countries, but this training will open a unique market for the first ever locally made chocolate products.
He says farmers were taught how to make chocolate using simple and traditional tools.
"It was really an amazing thing to see the farmers taste their chocolate for the first time. In several of the communities we even made chocolate using very simple, local tools like a kava grinder or a meat grinder and a coffee grinder."
