INTERVIEW: Jan Schubert, Conservation Leader at Original Beans Chocolate

Jan Schubert works in the cocoa industry in Latin America, largely in Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia. Focusing on conservation in cocoa-growing areas, his efforts & the efforts of his team have led to the planting of over 2.4 million trees in some of the world’s most vulnerable areas. ‘One bar, one tree’ is the motto of Original Beans Chocolate. So what is happening on the ground, in the world’s oldest cocoa-growing regions? After well over a decade working with cacao in South America, Jan had a lot to say on the topic. From a hostel in Colombia, we dive into post-harvest improvements from farmers, rare cacao varietals, and potential value-adds in-country. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it. Note that the idea of the end of chocolate as we know it was the focus of my interview with Jan, with the end product being this podcast episode titled Is Chocolate Going Extinct? (https://damecacao.com/chocolate-on-the-road-is-chocolate-going-extinct/) Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/ (https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/) Show Notes: https://damecacao.com/interview-jan-schubert-original-beans-chocolate/