48,402
edits
Changes
no edit summary
To ensure premium quality cocoa, the Ramanandraibe Group has set up 23 support centres throughout the [[Sambirano|Sambirano Valley]] providing technical assistance to farmers. Fermentation tubs and drying areas for cocoa beans are subsidised by the group. Madagascar cocoa farming is typically in the hands of small family businesses run by farmers who live by their land and tradition to pass their skills onto future generations.
<table cellpadding="0" cellpadding="0" style="border:1px solid #cccccc; float:right; margin-left:10px; width:328px;"><tr>
<td style="padding:3px 3px 3px 3px;">
[[File:Chocolaterie_Robert_320x240_low.flv|320x240px]]
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding:0px 0px 0px 3px;"><small>A 13-minute presentation video intruducing Chocolaterie Robert and documenting their procedures of making chocolate from bean to bar (in French language).</small></td>
</tr></table>
''The Chocolaterie Robert company is organised into four units:''
* Chocolate confectionery (chocolate sweets and figurines)
* Pastry and bakery
In recent years, Chocolaterie Robert has combined its time-proven knowledge of chocolate production with the expertise of renowned French Chocolatier André Rosset who has advised the company in the latest trends and technologies in the fine art of chocolate making. All of Chocolaterie Robert's products are classified as pure and single origin entirely made in Madagascar. Dark chocolate made by Chocolaterie Robert is rich in flavonoids that occur naturally in Croille cocoa beans. Unlike other dark chocolates derived from cocoa grown elsewhere, the Madagascar variety is low in bitterness and naturally sweet. Furthermore, the company is dedicated to fair trading and supports several small cocoa farmers through micro-financing programmes. Today, the Chocolaterie Robert factory is a semi-industrial operation whose management, in an age of automated systems, still prefers to work with local people rather than machines.<br clear="all"><br>
