Très Hombres at Chocolatemakers
Every year, the sailing ship Très Hombres ships a large cargo of cocoa beans from the Dominican Republic to the Chocolatemakers in Amsterdam. Last month, after a six-month journey, the ship arrived at the quay in Westpoort.
The sustainable sailing ship
The 1943 restored sailing ship is over 30 meters long and has been sailing across the Atlantic to the Dominican Republic for Chocolatemakers since 2012. The journey of over twenty-five thousand kilometers is made solely on wind energy. The sailing ship is therefore an ambassador for cleaner sea transport, on the initiative of the three friends Arjen van der Veen, Jorne Langelaan and Andreas Lackner. In the fall, the Très Hombres sets sail again from Amsterdam to the Caribbean Sea for a new cargo of cocoa beans.
Fair trade cocoa
In addition to the tons of cocoa, there was also a cargo of rum and gin on board. These drinks would later be used to add extra flavor to the final chocolate bar. Next, the many heavy bags of cocoa beans were taken off board and stored in a shed. Later, the beans will be sustainably processed in the Chocolatemakers' factory, where the building is solar-powered. Besides the sustainable transportation and processing of the cocoa, an important aspect is that the farmers get a good price for their cocoa and are seen as true entrepreneurs.
