Bittersweet: What's the deal with chocolate?

This week we're talking about one of the world's favourite foods: chocolate. I'm joined by chocolate maker David Belo who is the founder of Naviluna Artisan Chocolates in Mysore, India and has an extensive background of working in bread, pastry and mixology in London. The chocolate industry is rife with several issues from mass deforestation to child slavery. The workers in the world's largest cocoa producers - Ivory Coast and Ghana - earn less than a $1 a day in a $103 billion industry. The rise of bean-to-bar chocolate makers such as Naviluna then are a means to address growing concerns of sustainability, ethical labour practices and transparency. In bean-to-bar everything from sourcing the cocoa beans from suppliers and farmers to crafting the chocolate bar is done by the one entity themselves. What then is the sweet spot between sustainability and scalability? What does India have to offer to an industry so heavily reliant on West Africa? What constitutes "good chocolate"? Are consumer palates and wallets ready for this evolution in their favourite foods? As ever, subscribe to us, share our episodes and say hi to us on IG: @amplifypodcast. Check out the incredible work Naviluna are doing at: https://naviluna.in.