CULTURAL ETHICAL NETWORK OF ARTISAN HERITAGE SITES

The Chocolate Way is a project of cultural tourism that aims to promote and support the development of training activities, exchange initiatives between cities and countries, of a scientific, cultural, artistic, social, economic and tourist type. It promotes the areas involved, their landscape, culture and their tangible and intangible heritage.

It is the first international chocolate network celebrating the culture, tradition and history of chocolate in Europe and is currently awaiting recognition as a European Cultural Route by the Council of Europe.

“The Chocolate Way” aims to present the cultural heritage of chocolate and cacao as a useful resource for cultural development and aims to promote diversity, intercultural dialogue and a model of economic development based on the principles of sustainable use of resources.

 

Origins of the project

The network “The Chocolate Way” was born on July 22nd 2013 to promote and support the European Chocolate Route and it is formed by more then 30 partners of 9 European countries, representing different categories in the cultural and commercial sphere including: Museums, Municipalities, Chambers of Commerce, Chocolate producers and Chocolate experts, Chocolate event organizer, Chocolate shops, Chocolate Associations, Themed Hotel and Accommodations, Schools, Universities and Centers of Research.

Silvia Costa, Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament, strongly support The Chocolate Way and its candidacy as Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. She presented it at EXPO 2015 in Milan in the conference center and European Commission pavillion.

The original idea of The Chocolate Way is

• to join the historic districts of European chocolate
• to build a new proposal of European tourist route
• to rediscover the artisan cities and the most significant venues for handmade European chocolate

Through the discussion of chocolate our project wants to highlight the European values delivered to the rest of humanity in the past 50 years: the respect and promotion of local products of food quality, transparency of process, the central value and the importance of nutrition for the world’s future, the recognition of the fundamental value of work, cooperation and transfer of craft, the fair, focusing in SMEs.

 

The importance of equality

Recognize the value of the producing workers

Three different ways we network:

•  Fair trade
• Valorization of quality productions
• Cooperation and social cohesion (projects of cooperation) for improving quality and supply chain

 

Through the story-telling of chocolate we can leave a message to the young generations of Europe and we are able  to approach different themes: Ethical, ecological, cultural, historical.

1. Through chocolate it is possible to retrace the history and the comparison with pre-Columbian civilizations and describe the ugly page of European colonization
2. Through chocolate it is possible to understand the inequalities between those who produce and those who consume
3. Through chocolate it is possible to affirm the value of equality by recognizing the value of work of those who produce
4. Through chocolate it is possible to enhance the handcrafted production of European quality and traceability of the supply chain
5. Through chocolate it is possible to educate about our food system and the resources of our planet

“Feeding the planet : Energy for life”.

 

ITINERARIES