A Belgian chocolate manufacturer has included PNG cocoa beans in one of its leading organically grown chocolate product brands.
Meurisse Chocolate NV, established since 1845, is using 100 percent cocoa beans from PNG farmers to produce the dark PNG chocolate brand that is 73% cocoa.
The company also mixes the PNG cocoa with nuts and other ingredients to produce several brands, including the dark caramel and almond brand.
Papua New Guinea's Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union, Joshua Kalinoe said the Embassy in Brussels has been promoting PNG products, including cocoa and it is really satisfying to see that the country now has its own brand of chocolate that can be sold in the EU market.
Ambassador Kalinoe who is also Papua New Guinea's Commissioner General to Expo2020 in Dubai, has invited the company to join the PNG pavilion to tell the PNG cocoa story from the manufacturer's perspective.
"We are inviting other companies, including those in PNG to join us in telling the PNG story about their products as well, including those in the agriculture sector.
"Our emerging brands like Queen Emma Chocolate and Highlands Honey have been invited to partner with the PNG Expo2020 team as well.
"Apart from telling their stories, the idea is to also expose them to niche market opportunities in their respective products for both market access and technology transfer, he said.
Kalinoe said the PNG Expo2020 team is facilitating a win-win atmosphere where companies create demand for their products for increased sale that would create more demand for our farmers to produce and export, hence facilitating domestic economic growth by creating more jobs in the value chain and also strengthening the country’s balance of payment in the medium to long terms.
“The potential benefits for PNG are convincingly overwhelming if the bureaucrats and policy makers in Waigiani could understand this simple fact and start investing adequately in our participation in Expo 2020. This opportunity of bringing participants from the world together in one village to connect and tell their stories on innovations, technology, culture, and wealth creation amongst themselves happens once every four years.
“The partnership with businesses and other stakeholders that the Government is forcing at the Dubai Exposition is consistent with objectives of our participation strategy and the sub-theme, Connecting Minds and Creating Opportunities for Sustainable Development,” he said.
Kalinoe said Expo2020 is different from past World Expositions. It's about sharing ideas and learning from each other as well as creating opportunities for trade and investment.
"It is participative in nature where businesses, Governments, academics, artists, city planners, infrastructure specialists, sustainable development experts, research and development as well as mobility experts and others who have a story to tell can participate in the different forums and events of the Expo Program," Ambassador Kalinoe said.
He said the PNG Expo2020 Media and Public Affairs team is developing a number of communication mediums, including a Website, as part of the Communication strategy to inform Papua New Guineans and other stakeholders on the country’s participation and Events.
“We plan to formerly launch these platforms by end of June or early July for access by the public,” Kalinoe said.
Photo credit: H.E Ambassador Joshua Kalinoe