The Northwest Chocolate Festival 2026

Verticalized chocolate operations in Hawaii can be seen as acts of decolonizing resistance, rooted in John Lewis' idea of Good Trouble. This talk will discuss Lonohana's efforts to use commerce to drive meaningful local and regenerative change, from agriculture to finished products, and everything in between. The audience should learn about recent history of cacao and chocolate in Hawaii, and how localizing this food raises lots of interesting and sometimes subtle institutional challenges. Slides will be presented to give context and background information, and the audience will hopefully leave with a clearer understanding of the social justice and environmental meaning behind choosing truly local chocolate products.