Monthly Archive for February, 2010

Friday Feature: A Logistical Approach

Published on February 26, 2010 in Chocolate University. 0 Comments

In this week’s Friday Feature, Central High School Student, Mitchell Trafford, discusses the lessons he’s learned throughout his role on the Business/Logistics team in the Cocoa Honors project

Being a member of the Business/Logistics team, I was ready to tackle the goal of arranging transportation to and from Africa for both students and the beans.  I entered this project knowing that this was no easy feat, but I discovered that the process was a lot more difficult than I had originally anticipated.  You see, estimating these expenses isn’t as simple as reserving tickets online and giving Fed-Ex a call about the beans.  There are many factors that have to be taken into consideration; something I hadn’t, well, considered. 

Not only does our team have to arrange transportation to and from Africa, but we also have to figure costs of in-country transportation, which includes transportation from the airport, transportation to a major city for a night or two, transportation to the farm, and then transportation within the farm.  In addition to this, we need to estimate the costs of accommodations, including those in cities and closer to our target farm.  Of course, we’ll need to eat while we’re in the country, so we’re responsible for figuring those costs as well.  Piled on top of all of these expenses is the cost of insurance and the money required to carry out our service project.

As you can see, this has become quite a daunting task, and this doesn’t even include the process of transporting the beans.  To further complicate matters, most of this information is not available online.  Luckily, we have come across several very helpful contacts from within the countries that are willing to provide us with the numbers that we need. Without this information, we may have estimated incorrectly, potentially leaving us with less money than we need.  As of now, I feel comfortable with our current cost estimates, and I believe we have been as accurate as possible.  Now comes the really difficult part of traveling to Africa—raising the money. 

In addition to learning about small business operations and inter-continental logistics, we are learning how to raise money, and a lot of it.  We’re not going door-to-door, asking people to donate their pocket change to our “fund.”  We’ve been meeting with potential donors and have been giving presentations that will hopefully leave them wanting to be a part of our project.  We also plan to work at some smaller fundraisers along the way.  While this will only provide a small amount of money compared to our overall needs, it will definitely help to get the word out about Cocoa Honors.  In my eyes, increasing publicity is just as important as earning money.

Friday Feature: A Lesson in Culture

Published on February 19, 2010 in Chocolate University. 0 Comments

In the newest edition of the Friday Feature series, Central High School student Bryn Prater discusses the wide variety of lessons she’s learned through her involvement in the Cocoa Honors project:

When we first met as a group for Cocoa Honors we all knew we were going to learn a lot about subjects that aren’t covered in the classroom: small business, chocolate making and Africa. However, I for one didn’t know just how much I was going to learn. From the start I knew this would be an interesting experience.  What I didn’t know was just how wide of a range of knowledge this project would encompass.

Cocoa Honors is an experience unlike any I’ve ever had before, or any with which I’m familiar. Last year I never put much thought into how products from overseas get to Springfield, Missouri. Instead of just taking a package to the post office and getting it shipped overnight to its destination, exports have to get trucked to a port, shipped overseas, then trucked to Springfield. I’m learning so much about different cultures around the world. In America, punctuality is important and I had become accustomed to deadlines and rapid results. However this project has shown me that not all places put as much emphasis on time. Some things take longer to get done in other countries, which can be stressful, but it also teaches patience and has already helped me to realize that not everything is in my control and that I simply have to make back up plans because not everything will go just as I originally wanted.

One huge skill that I am already acquiring from this program is the ability to interact with adults in a professional setting. Most teenagers are never put in the situation where they need to talk to adults in a business setting and even fewer are put in the situation where they have to explain why something, such as Cocoa Honors, is so important and should be funded. This skill will help me so much in the future. Before Cocoa Honors I had assumed that all business is the same and mainly involves sitting behind a desk but Askinosie Chocolate is a testament against that. I now know that if I am a small business owner I can still travel the world, help those who need it and do something I truly love.

The Value of ‘Street Smarts’

Published on February 14, 2010 in Chocolate University. 0 Comments

In this post, Drury University SIFE director and current MBA candidate, Josh Jones discusses what he sees as the ultimate value of the Cocoa Honors project:

From the time I could walk I was knocking various balls around my backyard with baseball bats and golf clubs.  Over the course of several years I’d taken countless swings of those clubs and bats long before I ever thought about reading or taking lessons on how to swing successfully.  Simply through the process of trial and error I’d become pretty successful at hitting a baseball or golf ball.  Certainly, reading books and taking lessons would have helped further develop my skills, but no amount of reading could have replaced the skills I developed through the process of doing.   

So how does Cocoa Honors relate to swinging a golf club?  Cocoa Honors is providing everyone involved the opportunity to develop and refine valuable skills that can hardly be developed taking a class or reading a book.  It’s very difficult to be successful at leading teams and managing projects without first acquiring the experience of working within teams or managing projects.    

Too often, a student graduates with more than enough book smarts, but not enough street smarts.  In entrepreneurship especially, it’s more likely someone with practical experience and no formal college education will achieve success in their risk taking ventures compared to someone with little to no practical experience and a high level of college education. 

Through Cocoa Honors, students are learning the ‘art of doing’ which is one of the most important skills one can possess.

Friday Feature: Chocolate Country Choices

Published on February 5, 2010 in Central High School, Drury University and Projects. 0 Comments

In the next installment of our Friday Feature series, Central High School student Martha Scott Burton relates the information she has learned about Tanzania and Liberia, the top country choices for the Cocoa Honors team.

The country of Tanzania is experiencing a re-emergence of the cocoa industry, providing an opportune time frame for Cocoa Honors to capitalize on trade’s growth.  Additionally, 95% of the cocoa beans are grown organically (a requirement for Askinosie’s high quality beans).  The bean source is rare and largely undiscovered, allowing Askinosie to potentially create a unique and one-of-a-kind chocolate bar.  Such a chocolate bar could not be produced without great contacts, and Tanzania has plenty of contacts.   Doug Pitt’s well-drilling company, Maji-Tech, has offered great assistance in our service project if we decide upon Tanzania as an African cocoa source.  This is possibly the most exciting opportunity of the project:  to make a sustainable and long-lasting difference in the lives of others.  By funding a well, we would be providing clean water to a region desperately in need of such resources.  The NGO Techno-Serve has also been of excellent help in contacting farmers.  Tanzania has a rich history and a wealth of information that we hope to continue to delve into as the project progresses.

 We were first alerted to the potential of Liberia as a cocoa source by Sourcing Team Leader and Central High School student David Langdon.  Liberia has a deep history, as it was recently ravaged by a fourteen-year civil war.  The cocoa industry is redeveloping, the economy is growing, and the nation is rebuilding, serving as a launch pad of sorts for a great cocoa source.  Being supplied great contacts through the Mars Corporation, we have come in contact with the ACDI-VOCA NGO and many local farmers, including Musu Flomo, who is sending us bean samples in the very near futuer.  These contacts have assured us of the first-class quality of their beans.  To be sure, Liberia has great potential. 

In conclusion, Cocoa Honors believes that Tanzania and Liberia will both yield a great single-origin chocolate bar, one of superb taste and of artistic proportions.