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Beyond Good

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Beyond Good
Company typePrivate
IndustryFoods
Founded2006
FounderTim McCollum, Brett Beach
Headquarters
Brooklyn, New York
,
United States
Websitebeyondgood.com

Beyond Good formerly Madécasse, is a Brooklyn-based chocolate and vanilla company established in 2006 by two Peace Corps volunteers who served in Madagascar. The company sells a range of single origin chocolate bars and vanilla products, sourced from the island of Madagascar and introduced a new line of Uganda chocolate bars in early 2020 </ref>https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/01/16/1971713/0/en/Beyond-Good-Sweetens-its-Offering-with-Three-New-Chocolate-Bars.html</ref>. All of the cocoa is certified Direct Trade and is sourced directly from Malagasy and Ugandan cocoa farmers. For several years, Beyond Good worked with a local chocolate producer based in Antananarivo, and is currently producing chocolate in its own facilities in Madagascar as well as Europe. </ref>https://www.candyindustry.com/articles/89014-beyond-good-marks-one-year-of-chocolate-manufacturing-in-madagascar</ref>

History

Founders Brett Beach and Tim McCollum met while serving as Peace Corps volunteers in Madagascar. After spending a combined eight years on the island, McCollum and Beach felt that they wanted to have more of an impact and that “business was needed for real (social and environmental) change.”[1] Cocoa had always been a major export of Madagascar but very little chocolate had been produced on the island, much like in the rest of Africa. Even though the continent grows over 65% of the world's cocoa, less than 1% of the world's chocolate is made there.[2] The two were determined to have a significant impact on the island they had come to love, and formulated an innovative business model for a chocolate business. They would produce chocolate on the island, and the majority of the economic benefit would stay within the country.[3] The two reunited back in the United States and started the company at Beach's residence in Lawrence, Kansas.[2]

Beyond Good partnered with the cocoa farmers of the Ezaka Cooperative, from a remote area of Madagascar.[4] The company initially had trouble meeting the quality standards of the United States, as the cocoa beans needed more fermentation and drying.[2] McCollum said, “You have farmers farming cocoa who have never eaten chocolate.”[2] Beyond Good trained the farmers, invested in equipment, and developed a bonus program for the cooperative.[4] Since the company established a consistent process for producing high quality cocoa, it has achieved critical acclaim for its chocolates. Beyond Good partnered with a factory on the island that has steadily increased their production outcome, according to Malagasy-born Michaël Chauveau, director of operations in Madagascar.[2] As Beyond Good expanded, it ventured out and partnered with more farming cooperatives in order to meet demand.[2]

There was room for growth in other markets besides chocolate, as Madagascar provided 60% of the world's vanilla beans.[5] Beyond Good exports vanilla beans and extract from Madagascar to replicate the effect that they have with their chocolate bars in the vanilla sector.[2] Now, Beyond Good has offices in Brooklyn, managed by McCollum, and Madagascar.

In January 2020 Beyond Good made its official name change from Madécasse to Beyond Good. [6]

Objectives and Impact

  • Strengthen the local economy[3]
  • Create well-paying jobs and market stability to end the cycle of poverty[3]
  • Cut the supply chain to decrease costs while increasing flow of income directly to farmers[3]
  • Train farmers and production technicians skills that increase quality and value of products and ingredients[3]

Recognition

The company has achieved recognition for its innovative business model, local impact, and the chocolate itself. Beyond Good has been named:

References

  1. ^ Dugan, Owen "Made in Madagascar", Wine Spectator, Los Angeles, 31 May 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Watkins, Tate "Cuckoo for Cocoa Processing: Making Chocolate—Not Just Picking It—Helps Madagascar Develop", Good Business 7 February 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e Follmer, Max "Madecasse Takes Bitter out of Chocolate Sweetness" Archived 2012-05-02 at the Wayback Machine, Take Part March 1, 2011
  4. ^ a b "Creating Change through Chocolate" Archived 2012-11-30 at the Wayback Machine PCC Natural Markets
  5. ^ "Fair Trade Vanilla: Anything but Plain" Good Business 31 May 2011
  6. ^ https://www.candyindustry.com/articles/88879-mad%C3%A9casse-rebrands-as-beyond-good
  7. ^ "2012 Global Conference for Social Change list of speakers" Archived 2015-05-28 at the Wayback Machine Foundation for Social Change
  8. ^ "50 Most Innovative Companies – Madecasse" Fast Company March 2011
  9. ^ Wheelock, Katherine "40 Big Thinkers 40 & Under", Food & Wine, November 2010.
  10. ^ "2011 Good Food Awards Chocolate Winner" Archived 2011-12-04 at the Wayback Machine Seedling Projects
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