Setting the Bar follows the top craft chocolate makers in the world as they journey through the deep jungles of the Peruvian Amazon in search of rare native cacao varietals that have never been used in chocolate production. Share in the passion and excitement of the chocolate makers as they travel into the unknown, find purpose in the stories of the indigenous cacao farmers, and view first-hand the widespread impacts of deforestation, drug trade, and large agribusinesses on the Amazonian way of life. Join them as they confront the myriad of issues facing the craft chocolate industry today, hearing from people on all sides of the industry.

Setting the Bar uncovers a new era of sustainable chocolate trade: one that protects livelihoods, supports environmental sustainability, educates consumers to make better choices, and also creates award winning chocolate bars!

Over the span of two years, we travelled to the Peruvian Amazon with a group of craft chocolate makers to search for cacao breeds that have never been cultivated for chocolate production. We took small planes over old growth rainforest, and navigated tributaries by boat to access remote areas of the jungle. Along the way, we met communities whose livelihoods are supported by cacao.

The footage we captured is beautiful and touching; we caught the passion of the chocolate makers, recorded the farmer’s personal stories, and investigated the impacts of deforestation in the Amazon.

FEATURED CHARACTERS

• Nate Hodge, co-owner of Raaka in Red Hook, New York

• Ryan Berk, owner of Parliament Chocolate in Redlands, California

• Elaine Read & Matt Weyandt, co-owners of Xocolatl in Atlanta, Georgia

• Dan Rattigan, co-owner of French Broad Chocolate in Asheville, North Carolina

• Greg D’Allesandre, Partner at Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco, California

• Steve Bergin, Cacao Expert and Environmentalist

• Carmen Rosa Chavez, Director of Agricultural Business at the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture

• Mark Christian, Director of Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund (HCP)

• Simran Sethi, Award Winning Journalist and Author of Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love

• William Vasquez Diaz, President of Coffee and Chocolate Cooperative In Peru: Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera Pangoa Ltda

• Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, Celebrity Chef and Restaurant Owner in Lima, Peru

• Julian Mendez Calderon, Field technician from Alianza Cacao, USAID cacao program

• Dr. Lee Berk, Director of Loma Linda University’s Clinical Molecular and Psychoneuroimmunology Research Laboratory

• Participants at Northwest Chocolate Festival, Seattle, Washington