If you’re reading this, you’re probably a fan of chocolate. And if you’re not a total fan, you’re at least chocolate-curious. And if you’re chocolate-curious, you may or may not have heard of an emerging trend in the chocolate industry: lab-grown chocolate. Sounds like something straight out of The Twilight Zone, doesn’t it?

But it’s true. Startups across the globe are working on lab-grown chocolate in an attempt to solve some of the longstanding problems within the industry: supply issues brought on by climate change as well as ethical issues related to child labor, to name a few. But does taking farmers out of the supply chain solve those problems, or simply create new ones?

Beyond Good was founded in 2008 to show that there’s a better way to make – and taste! – chocolate by elevating the farmer and cocoa-growing communities.

As the lab-grown chocolate conversation continues, we want to be clear about where we stand. We believe cocoa farmers should not be scientifically engineered out of the chocolate supply chain. Our cocoa is grown by agricultural workers who rely on Beyond Good to earn a stable income. And we rely on them: Andrianarison Lalatiana, whose 47-hectare plot boasts more than 26,000 cacao trees, as well as Roger Hoasin’I Vera, who manages to produce nearly 10,000 kg of cacao per year despite his modest five-hectare plot, to highlight a few. Replacing real farmers with tanks, beakers and bioreactors doesn’t benefit their children and families – paying them a fair wage does.  

We buy our cocoa directly from our farmers in Madagascar, where it’s then processed and manufactured into the chocolate bars that land on the shelves of your local grocer. That means our supply chain doesn't just benefit our farmers, it also benefits you, the consumer! By eliminating middlemen, our chocolate can be sold at a reasonable price. Plus, it tastes better than commodity cocoa because of where and how our beans are grown. 

Our Madagascar chocolate is from Ancient Criollo cocoa grown in the Lower Sambirano Valley. It tastes bright and tangy, with notes of red fruit. Our Uganda chocolate, made from Trinitario beans grown in the foothills of the Rwenzori, boasts a more traditional chocolate flavor with notes of brownie and dark fruit. A lab may be able to grow cocoa cells to mimic commodity cocoa, but it can’t recreate the valley, the soil, or the farmers’ fermenting and drying that give Beyond Good chocolate its flavor.

But how sustainable is it to farm cocoa on a commercial scale? Let’s get into the weeds: Our agroforestry methods support cocoa growth under shade trees without synthetic pesticides. Those shade trees support Madagascar’s endangered species, including lemurs, and contribute to biodiversity. Plus, our model encourages reforestation, as stable contracts and premium prices incentivize farmers to invest in planting more trees. The cocoa varietal thrives under a multi-tiered tree canopy.

Making chocolate at the source benefits the farmer and the consumer. As lab-grown chocolate continues to develop, our questions only deepen: Who does lab-grown chocolate benefit? And how will flavor suffer?