The Solomons is emerging as a sought after destination by craft chocolate makers for premium craft chocolate.
A major milestone for Solomon Islands cacao was Guadalcanal cacao farmer David Junior Kebu achieving an international cacao excellence award at the 2015 International Awards in Paris at the salon du chocolat.
http://www.cocoaofexcellence.org/2015-edition/
Then in late 2016, at the US Northwest Chocolate festival, one of the highest regarded craft/artisan chocolate festivals in the world, a chocolate made by Dick Taylor chocolates using Solomon Island cacao beans picked up third prize! This is a fantastic achievement and some of our craft chocolate colleagues that were at the festival have spoken of the buzz this has generated in the US for Solomon Islands as a cacao destination.
What’s especially exciting is that these beans were supplied by cacao farmer Elsie Zota/Sedo, a female cacao farmer who won the 2016 Solomon Islands Chocolate competition.
http://www.dicktaylorchocolate.com/home/2016/11/13/2016-northwest-chocolate-festival