Academics Join Forces with Farmers to Put Thailand on the Premium Chocolate Map
Thailand's farmers have been growing cocoa for 40 years, but following the government's effort to diversify agricultural outputs and move away from monocropping, cocoa has become a promising economic crop. While encouragement to cultivate cocoa trees led to widespread cultivation, farmers lacked proper knowledge of cocoa cultivation, care, and harvesting, resulting in poor-quality yields. At Chulalongkorn University, a group of researchers is helping farmers across the value chain and aims to put Thailand on the map as a producer of premium international chocolate.
Chulalongkorn University
With a background in environmental engineering, Assistant Professor Dr. Thansiphorn Na Nan is heading the Innovation Center for Research and Development of Sustainable Thai Cocoa (ISTC) and serves as the university's Assistant Dean for Research and Academic Service at the Faculty of Integrated Agriculture.
She summarized the ISTC as seeking to “advance the cocoa value chain through social innovation by integrating academic research, technology development, and community engagement.”
Improving cocoa cultivation and production yields in Thailand
According to Dr. Na Nan, one of the most critical challenges is climate change, with extreme weather fluctuations that significantly affect yields and quality. Although the cacao tree lives up to 70 years, its production is directly affected by climate conditions.
Beyond climate conditions, farmers who turned to cocoa production lacked basic knowledge of the trees' specificities, their optimal growing conditions, pod ripeness, and the fermentation process. “This knowledge gap directly resulted in inconsistent quality and a high rate of downgraded beans, limiting access to the premium market.”
The ISTC project started in Nan Province, in northern Thailand, as a pilot. The province was negatively affected by smog, a direct consequence of maize monoculture, and agriculture diversification became necessary. Some 50 districts in Nan province have now turned to cocoa production. ISTC also operates in most Thai provinces, including Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in the North, and Ayutthaya in the center.
Although cocoa has been cultivated in the country for 40 years, it has mostly been grown in the northern and eastern parts, where high humidity and minimal weather fluctuations are most suitable for cacao cultivation. In other parts of the country, cultivation is possible, she said, but it requires higher operational costs.
Cocoa beans production
There is a whole science behind chocolate-making. Going from pods to cacao is a long, precise, and technical process.
Farmers who plant cacao trees have to wait 2 to 3 years for their first harvest and give the trees plenty of water and nutrients. Once the pods are fully ripe, the beans, still encased in a white pulp called mucilage, are removed from the husk. This is where one of the most important steps in cacao production occurs: fermentation, which unfolds in two phases.
As the mucilage degrades, it provides nutrients for bacteria, yeasts, and enzymes. This anaerobic phase allows the development of the flavor precursors that will compose the beans' specific flavor. This stage requires a thorough understanding of the process and the optimal fermentation conditions, Dr. Na Nan explained.
In the next fermentation stage, without mucilage, beans are left to ferment and dry for 2 to 3 months, during which they develop the right amount of acetic acid and a distinct flavor.
The beans are then roasted at 130 degrees Celsius to further enhance their flavor and become cocoa nibs, which, when crushed, become cocoa mass used by chocolate manufacturers. If the cocoa butter is separated from the nibs, the rest becomes cocoa powder.
Empowering cocoa farmers to produce higher-quality cacao
Addressing the issues of the cacao value chain required going to the sources of the problems, Dr. Na Nan said. Thailand has different weather patterns and favorable seasons for cacao harvesting. In the North, she said, production spreads from November to the end of February. Temperatures then drop below 10 degrees Celsius, preventing fermentation. In the South, high production is during the rainy season; however, the high humidity prevents the beans from drying.
ISTC collaborates with researchers and professors from various faculties in Thailand and beyond to work out the best solutions. “We try to empower farmers because they are the key success factor in cacao production.” “We seek to give them the knowledge they need to improve their cultivation skills”. Solutions rely on innovation, such as an electronic “nose” that can analyze cocoa bean flavor.
The project also established 13 cocoa hubs across different areas, where farmers are regularly trained. “We invite farmers located in the surrounding areas,” she said. Some 500 farmers are currently members of those hubs. They also buy cocoa beans from the farmers. The beans are processed in optimal conditions, including in rooms with controlled temperature and humidity, and carefully roasted, ensuring consistency in production and the sustainability of the cocoa hub ecosystems, Dr. Na Nan said.
Private partnerships for chocolate production
ISTC, through the cocoa hubs, is the buyer and grader of cocoa products, which are then sent to private sector partners for chocolate production. One of those partners is Kad Kokoa Co., Ltd., a local company described by Dr. Na Nan as a key private-sector partner for national and international market development and product innovation.
The project team is also encouraging local entrepreneurs and farmers to process cocoa, adding to their income. Fresh pods sell for 6 to 8 bath per kilo, while processed cocoa beans can sell for up to 250 bath per kilo.
Creating a Social Impact Enterprise for sustainable cacao production
Chulalongkorn University
ISTC is considering launching a social impact enterprise as a university spin-off from Chulalongkorn University, which will serve as a platform facilitating the production of standardized, value-added products to ensure both financial and environmental sustainability and inclusive socio-economic impact.
The ISTC researchers are also currently working on recycling cocoa husks and cocoa powder into a livestock feed supplement. A patent on the process is being developed. The project also has a mobile application protected by copyright for sorting the quality of the cacao pods.
ISTC participated in the ASEAN-WIPO Lab-to-Market (L2M) project, funded through the Korea Funds-in-Trust for Industrial Property. The project is supporting university-based technology innovation and IP commercialization in ASEAN. “The L2M project helped us with insights into social enterprise and social business projects,” said Methasit Juthathan from the Division of Business Development & Technology Transfer for Commercial and Social Impact, Chulalongkorn University Innovation Hub (CU Innovation Hub). “It helped us identify our customers, our beneficiaries, and the potential investors in the spin-off.” “More importantly, it provided valuable insights into the broader context of social enterprise and business planning for operating an agricultural-focused company”. Dr. Na Nan added that the L2M project was useful for translating research into scalable innovation and for strengthening the IP strategy.
In the next five years, ISTC aims to become a regional hub for sustainable cacao innovation and a leader in advancing low-carbon agriculture and inclusive economic development, she said.
