Rephonic
Artwork for The Chocolate Conservatory
Cacao
Specialty Coffee
Hawaii
Puerto Rico
Chocolate
Ghana
Cocoa Processing
Economic Sociology
Pricing In Coffee
Cacao Alliance / Extension Services
Sugarcane
Cocoa Price Volatility
Sensory Science
Harvard University
Boston University
Institute For Cacao and Chocolate Research
Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund
Plant Cell Cultures
University Course
Colonialism and Slavery In Coffee/cocoa

Welcome to the Chocolate Conservatory, a podcast brought to you by the Institute for Cacao and Chocolate Research and Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund. In each episode, scholars Carla D. Martin and Jose Lopez Ganem host a conversation with researchers and industry members engaged in the study of pressing issues related to cacao and chocolate. They use these conversations to bring research to life ... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes9Founded5 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EducationBusinessNon-Profit

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Artwork for The Chocolate Conservatory

Latest Episodes

Dr. Shadrack Osei Frimpong, founder of Cocoa 360, and recent Harvard graduate and ICCR Research Fellow Dara Adamolekun join our hosts to discuss pressing sustainability questions related to traceability and transparency and farmer health.

Connect w... more

Most modern chocolate doesn’t end in a solid bar, and it is through the craft of Mexican chocolatier Luis Robledo—using chocolate couverture made from cacao beans produced by Hugo Francisco Chávez and his team at Agrofloresta Mesoamericana—that we ca... more

Discussing education for chocolate professionals, Penn State Emeritus Professor Greg Ziegler and CacaoLab Executive Director Claudia Delbaere share lessons learned from teaching generations of students in established institutions, as well as the cons... more

Cornell University Professor Alex M. Nading, a medical anthropologist, joins host Carla Martin to discuss the epidemic of chronic kidney disease of nontraditional causes (CKDnt) among Nicaragua's sugarcane plantation workers.

Find Dr. Nading's book ... more

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Recent Guests

Hugo Francisco Chávez
Agroforestry entrepreneur; runs agroforestry business in Tabasco and Chiapas
Episode: Bean to confection in Mexico
Luis Robledo
Chocolate pastry and restaurant entrepreneur; operates Tout Chocolat
Republica del Cacao (brand partner); Tout Chocolat
Episode: Bean to confection in Mexico
Claudia Delbaere
General Manager at CacaoLab
CacaoLab (Ghent University spin-off)
Episode: Professional Education with a University Accent
Greg Ziegler
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Food Science, Director of Penn State's Chocolate Short Course
Penn State University
Episode: Professional Education with a University Accent
Carla Martin
Director/Host (co-host) focusing on cacao science education
Institute for Cacao and Chocolate Research
Episode: Professional Education with a University Accent
Alex Nading
Associate Professor of Anthropology, Cornell University
Cornell University; University of Iowa
Episode: Labor in sugar cane
Viviana Medina Rodríguez
Plant physiologist and cacao expert; Puerto Rico origin
Independent consultant; Puerto Rico cacao community
Episode: USA Cacao: A New Origin?
Dave Dutra Elliott
Executive Director of Agriculture Stewardship Hawaii
Agriculture Stewardship Hawaii; Hawaii cacao community
Episode: USA Cacao: A New Origin?
Peter Roberts
Professor of organization and management; Academic Director of the Business and Society Institute at Emory University
Emory University
Episode: Numbers, Networks, and Narratives in Specialty Coffee

Hosts

Carla Martin
Host of The Chocolate Conservatory; affiliated with the Institute for Cacao and Chocolate Research and the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund
Jose Lopez Ganem
Host of The Chocolate Conservatory; affiliated with the Institute for Cacao and Chocolate Research and the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund; also linked with Harvard University

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Bean to confection in Mexico
Q: What keeps producers up at night regarding the supply chain?
Climate risks, price volatility, pests, and energy/transport costs create uncertainties that impact farming income and profitability across the cacao-to-chocolate pipeline.
Bean to confection in Mexico
Q: What educational gaps exist in chocolate education, and what should be added to curricula?
Education should include regional climate, soil, processing nuances, and the full journey from bean to bar to help chefs and consumers understand flavor origins and price implications.
Bean to confection in Mexico
Q: What does cacao represent for Mexicans, beyond being a simple cash crop or ingredient?
Cacao is history, culture, and everyday life in Mexico, with deep roots in regional traditions and a rich array of products beyond mainstream chocolate.
Labor in sugar cane
Q: When did all of this start?
The broader pattern traces back to the 15th century, with the origins in European colonization and the Caribbean sugarcane plantations that established monoculture, followed by later investment and expansion in Nicaragua, which set the stage for contemporary health and environmental challenges tied to sugarcane production.
Numbers, Networks, and Narratives in Specialty Coffee
Q: Could you summarize what an economic sociologist is and why that lens matters for coffee?
An economic sociologist studies how economic actions are embedded in social relations and institutions, not just in abstract supply-demand curves. This matters for coffee because pricing and value are shaped by human decisions, power dynamics, and historical imprints like colonialism, so understanding those contexts helps reveal why prices don't always reflect producers' costs or true value.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Chocolate Conservatory

What is The Chocolate Conservatory about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This series centers cacao and chocolate through scholarly conversations that bring research to life and connect academia with industry practice. Episodes frequently explore topics like cacao governance, pricing and market dynamics, processing innovations, sustainability, and the social and political economies shaping cacao systems. A notable pattern is the blend of rigorous research with practical industry insights, featuring academics, researchers, policy-minded guests, and leaders from cacao organizations who discuss how science, policy, and on-the-ground experiences intersect to affect producers, communities, and markets. The show often highlights collaboration across disciplines and the role of extension, education, and philanthropy in ... more

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1. Gastropod
2. Throughline
3. The Rest Is History
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The Chocolate Conservatory launched 5 months ago and published 9 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Chocolate Conservatory?

Recent guests on The Chocolate Conservatory include:

1. Hugo Francisco Chávez
2. Luis Robledo
3. Claudia Delbaere
4. Greg Ziegler
5. Carla Martin
6. Alex Nading
7. Viviana Medina Rodríguez
8. Dave Dutra Elliott

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