Chronic diseases are on the increase worldwide, however there
is a global trend seeking to combat those illnesses through healthy choices.
Europeans, in particular, are becoming more health conscious
and are focused on using natural products, ranging from food to make up.
In 2018 the European cosmetic market was valued at approximately 78.6 billion with the natural cosmetics niche market accounting for some five per cent of the total market.
Europeans also enjoy sauces, condiments and seasonings and
have for the past couple years imported the same from a number of Caribbean
countries. Sauces, condiments and seasonings made in Caribbean countries and
exported to Europe in 2018 are valued at US$ 8,149,000.
Anastasha Elliot, who hails from Saint Kitts and Nevis, has been eyeing both the European cosmetics and condiment markets with the intention of getting a piece of the pie. Her company, Sugar Town Organics, producers of natural food and cosmetics, will participate in the upcoming 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum, slated for September 26 to 28 in Frankfurt, Germany.
Organised by the Caribbean Export Development Agency, the
forum will bring together over 150 stakeholders and businesses from 15
CARIFORUM countries and Europe with the intention to build partnerships and to
boost exports to the continent.
Anastasha’s journey to producing a range of healthy natural products for everyday use began when her mother was diagnosis with cervical cancer. That pushed the family to look critically at the products they used and the food they consumed.
That forced us to take a look at our environment, our food source, what and how we ate, how we were living both the emotional and mental aspects and the products we used on our skin and hair, Anastasha recalled.
As a result, a number of things happened:
The family adopted a holistic lifestyle,
embracing indigenous herbs and fruits.
Her mother beat cancer in four months.
Anastasha and her mother launched Sugar
Town Organics, a natural agro-processing company in 2010.
Built on strong traditional knowledge in herbal care passed down through generations, the company combines science and cultural practices to the produce over 80 items for everyday use or consumption. With Anastasha’s degree in culinary arts, along with diplomas in organic hair and skin care formulation, she ensures everything they create helps consumers to live healthier lives.
Sugar Town Organics produces natural food and cosmetics under
two brands: Flauriel and Yaphene. Everything is made with raw, active, high
performance ingredients sourced from indigenous botanical fruits, herbs and
plants found in Saint Kitts and Nevis and the Caribbean. Raw material include
hibiscus, fennel, nettle, coconut, ginger, neem, soursop, sorrel, sugar cane,
sea weed, and tarragon.
For persons seeking the best in personal care products, Yaphene offers a wide variety of options that are powered by nature. Free from GMO, toxins, fillers, parfum, synthetic chemicals and artificial colours, the line includes shampoos, conditions, hair growth serums, oils, toothpaste, eye cream, facial cream, hair cream, and deodorant. Local spas and hotels use Yaphene products.
Under the Flauriel brand, the health-conscious person can
choose from natural jams, salad dressings, pancake syrup, vinaigrettes, liqueurs
and wine made from a variety of indigenous crops such as hibiscus, mango,
coconut, sorrel, soursop, avocado, guava, ginger and more.
The mother-daughter company works with eleven local farmers
and sources additional raw material from Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St.
Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad.
Sugar Town Organics can be found in over eight stores in St.
Kitts. The company is now focused on exporting its brands throughout the
Caribbean and Europe.
Turmeric has many proven health benefits and is thought to assist in the prevention of heart disease, Alzheimers, high blood pressure, and cancer to name a few. It is also a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and is high in iron and vitamin B6.
After seeing the turmeric being grown in Belize while on assignment there in 2014 for an International NGO, Umeeda Switlo fell in love with the Belizean turmeric. It was huge and really orangey in colour, she enthused. In that moment she had the idea to form a business venture using wild crafted, whole root turmeric grown by the farmers in Belize.
As a result, she started a company with her daughter Nareena and called it Naledo – a combination of the name Nareena and Toledo, the district in Belize where the turmeric is sourced. This company produces Truly Turmeric, which has the distinction of being the world’s first wildcrafted whole root turmeric paste. The company also created a social enterprise in Toledo that would support farmers, from whom the turmeric is sourced directly, employ youth, improve health and produce products sustainably.
Umeeda admits
that this model of doing business was inspired by her mother Lella (known as
Mamajee) who had instilled in her a strong sense of social responsibility and
who, during time spent in the kitchen cooking together would always ask both
she and her daughter Nareena what they could do to make the world a better
place.
After developing Truly Turmeric in 2016, Naledo decided to gain exposure by launching the product at an industry trade show in Vancouver in May 2016. With just a basic set up of 50 labelled jars and a few samples, they managed to attract the attention of a national distributor who believed in their social enterprise model and helped them to grow from zero stores in 2016 to 600 stores across Canada. Truly Turmeric can also be found in Belize, the Bahamas and some parts of the United States.
Keen to find new markets for the product and to share the health benefits of turmeric with other parts of the world, Naledo will be taking Truly Turmeric to Europe as part of the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum being held from September 26 to 28 in Frankfurt, Germany. The forum is being organized by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in collaboration with the European Commission and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) .
Truly Turmeric paste is great for use in many dishes including marinades, smoothies, oatmeal, soups, stir fry, curries, eggs or just in plain water. The paste can also be used to make a refreshing and rejuvenating face mask if desired.
More and more people are conscious not only
about what they put into their bodies for good health but also what they put on
to their skin. Consumers are trying to get away from sulfates traditionally
found in shampoos that have gained notoriety for being very harsh on the skin
& scalps of persons with skin conditions such as: psoriasis, eczema or
sensitive skin. Skin conditions such as
psoriasis affect 7.8 million adults in Europe and approximately 1-3% of adults
in Europe suffer from eczema. Also, many consumers are now seeking to
avoid parabens a key component used to restrict bacterial growth in many
popular international hair care lines which has been linked in recent times by
many medical studies to the development of breast cancer.
Across the Caribbean you’ll find naturally made soaps, shampoo’s and personal care products that are devoid of such dangerous chemicals. At the upcoming 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum in Frankfurt, Germany a collection of some of the finest natural products from the Caribbean will be presented such as, Curealoe from Curacao; Caribbean Blue Naturals from Saint Lucia; BahamaSpa from the Bahamas and Sugar Town Organics from St. Kitts and Nevis. Another such company which is quickly becoming a company to look out for is Herboo Corporation Ltd.
Herboo Corporation Ltd., a Jamaican company which produces a range of hair and skin products using locally grown plants, spices and herbs. According to Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Javin Williams, the idea was birthed out of his personal experience with dandruff. A few years ago I had really bad dandruff and while I tried the popular brands they just would not work so in my frustration I went to my grandmother and she recommended some herbs to me like rosemary and peppermint and trust me when I tell you that when I used them, in less than two weeks my dandruff was gone.
After that
experience he decided to utilize locally grown herbs and spices on a commercial
scale as a way to help others treat their hair and skin. He explained that coming from a poor
background meant that he did not have the money needed to produce the products
on the scale he wanted so his sister came to the rescue.
She took samples
of the products to her university and asked for donations in exchange for a
sample of the products. The money
collected was the seed money used to create products on a commercial sale which
were then sold and the proceeds used to develop new products. Javin also entered a number of business
competitions and the proceeds from those also assisted.
In addition to
local financial assistance, Javin also received support in a number of areas
including the chemical composition of the product, investment advice and
marketing.
The 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum is a 3-day event taking place from 26-28th September 2019. Over 60 Caribbean suppliers across 4 industry sectors will be at the event organized by the Caribbean Export Development Agency in collaboration with the European Union and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) aims to improve trade between the Caribbean and Europe.
Whether it’s for medicinal or recreational use, tea is one of the most consumed hot beverages worldwide. In 2017 the global tea market was valued at almost US 50 billions dollars and it is expected to exceed US 73 billion dollars by 2024.
Certainly, European traders in the 16th century knew they were onto something great when they introduced tea leaves from China to the continent. Only growing in popularity, tea remains not only a preferred beverage to sip but a wise investment choice in Europe.
The Caribbean Export Development Agency has created a unique opportunity for European buyers and distributers interested in natural teas from the Caribbean to be introduced to export ready tea brands at the upcoming 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum.
Slated for September 26 to 28 at the Union Halle, Frankfurt, Germany the high profile event will be hosted by Caribbean Export in collaboration with the European Commission and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ).
Over 150 Caribbean and European counterparts will get the unique opportunity to meet under one roof to discover tantalizing Caribbean products and services as well as network and build international partnerships. The purpose is to help companies from 15 CARIFORUM countries start or increase exports to Europe.
Caribbean Cure, the award-winning tea company from Trinidad and Tobago, is one of the natural ingredient companies seeking to get its tasty and earthy concoctions sold in Europe.
Brewing nothing but pure natural Caribbean goodness, owners Sophia Stone and Stacy Seeterram were inspired by tradition to produce five deliciously healthy infusions.
The brews pleased more than just the palates of family and friends. In fact, Caribbean Cure has been recognized as producers of world class teas. In 2017 and 2018 the company won bronze for its Tropical Relaxation blend and its Island Breeze blend respectively at the Global Tea Championships hosted by the World Tea Expo in Colorado.
And if that wasn’t impressive enough, Caribbean Cure was shortlisted for a SIAL Paris 2018 Product Innovation award in the prestigious SIAL Innovation Contest, the world’s largest Food and Beverage Exhibition.
The secret is in the process. The tea leaves are slow dried to maximize nutrient content. Each blend offers a delicate balance formulated to create a memorable and unique experience in every cup, Stacy Seeterram explained.
Co-owner Sophia Stone added, I wanted to honour our long history in the Caribbean of using herbs and bush teas. Backed by science, my goal was to make these healing remedies more efficacious, convenient and attractive to today’s consumer.
Also headed to Frankfurt, Germany in September is Shavuot, a Jamaican brand of exotic teas made from local leaves, seeds and roots such as carassee, ginger, moringa and turmeric.
Owned by Richard Harris and his two sons, Joel and Jordan Harris, the trio decided to produce value added products from crops grown on the family’s farm. Shavuot, which means harvesting goodness, is sold in approximately 15 countries. The family produces thousands of cases of tea each month, with 90 per cent being shipped overseas and the remainder sold in Jamaica.
For buyers interested in sourcing Caribbean teas, the 4th CARIFORUM Business Forum is the only place to be from September 26 to 28.
Did you know that dark chocolate naturally releases a chemical in the brain to make you happy?
When Elizabeth Lady Montano was informed of this by Gillian Goddard, Co-Director of the ARC TT The Alliance of Rural Communities of Trinidad and Tobago, that light-bulb moment went off. Lady Montano had been struggling to find that perfect treat for patrons attending her son’s (International Soca artist Machel Montano) annual Machel Monday Carnival Concert. In 2014 her and her team had been on a quest to find the perfect snack to highlight the theme Happy Nation and as veganism and vegetarianism are lifestyle choices of the Montano’s, creating a vegan chocolate became the obvious choice!
Our brand ambassador Machel Montano is vegan, I am also vegan and most of our family is either vegan or vegetarian. We want to encourage healthy living hence those ingredients. There are no preservatives, no additives, no emulsifiers and no dairy of course. We wanted to keep it pure, healthy and attractive to taste and we have succeeded in doing that. We want to make people aware that you can eat healthy and still enjoy it, Lady Montano said.
Machel Montano Chocolate Ltd will be attending the upcoming 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum, which will be held in Union Halle, Frankfurt, Germany from September 26 to 28, 2019 in an effort to break into the European market.
Organized by the Caribbean Export Development Agency in cooperation with the European Union and the German Development Agency (GIZ), the forum aims to improve trade and exports from the region to Europe, especially in high potential growth areas such as the agro-processed food and natural ingredient industries.
Machel Montano Chocolate Company Ltd produces 60 per cent dark chocolate bar using authentic fine flavoured Trinitario cocoa. The formula is quite simple containing only three ingredients: cocoa nibs, cocoa butter and Guyanese Demerara sugar and has a shelf life of one year. As a handmade product it’s currently ranked as the second best local chocolate in Trinidad, and it now has its eyes on expanding into Europe and the United States.
The Montano’s mission isn’t just to produce a fantastic tasting happiness inducing vegan chocolate, they also want to revitalize the Trinidadian cocoa industry. The company has sought to empower several local communities, which currently supply the cocoa.
Machel through his foundation is working with the Siparia community where he grew up to set up a factory. This is part of our Corporate Social Responsibility and we are working with WHYFARM to achieve that goal, disclosed Lady Montano, adding that the foundation was empowering residents through training and by equipping them with chocolate production tools.
Trinitario cacoa come from the Trinitario cacao trees which are a natural hybrid biological class resulting from cross-pollination. They were created in Trinidad after a hurricane in 1727 destroyed most of the Criollo cacao trees. The Trinidad cacao plantations were then replanted with Forastero resulting in the creation of a hybrid of Criollo and Forastero (source: https://www.caribbeanandco.com/caribbean-chocolate-brands/)
Over 60 Caribbean producers will be attending the Business Forum and other chocolate producers include Cocoa Saint Lucia and Coldbush Organics from Jamaica.
The global cosmetics industry generates billions of dollars each year and Jamaican Dianne Plummer, owner of Your True Shade, a healthy cosmetic line manufactured in her homeland, is hoping to get a slice of that market.
The first Caribbean cosmetics beauty line to be certified by Cruelty Free International in the United Kingdom; Your True Shade is recognised as a green skin care and clean cosmetics brand. Your True Shade was created out of necessity by Dianne while studying sustainable energy and chemical engineering in Sweden and Finland. During that period, she found it difficult to find makeup that offered ideal coverage without irritating her sensitive skin and causing eczema flare ups.
Using her engineering background, Dianne hand-picked natural ingredients to formulate her own skincare and make-up line. As a result, Your True Shade Cosmetics Limited was born. The line has the distinction of being free from harmful chemicals commonly used in some skin care products. And remarkably, it celebrates the diversity of skin tones found in the Caribbean and beyond.
Though her company is only four years old, Dianne is determined to be a trailblazer in natural skin care in the Caribbean and focuses heavily on innovation, research and development. I’m always trying to make everything better, change formulations and tweak things as we go forward, because innovation has to be at the core of the business, she said.
She added that the old way of doing things was not a sustainable business model, but that a revolution was needed. In her opinion, what separates the outstanding entrepreneur from the average Jane or Joe is the ability to bring something new, never before seen or done, to the market. “In an already saturated market, like skincare, one must figure out how to do it differently and be innovative, Dianne stressed.
She does this by fusing technology, science and nature to deliver a safe, efficacious product, thereby successfully changing the narrative surrounding beauty by making it synonymous with health.
Your True Shade cosmetics is known for its ability to conceal and minimise imperfections, as well as promote healing and repair through the locally-sourced, natural, anti-inflammatory and hydrating herbs, spices and plant extracts used to formulate the line. In essence, it’s makeup with skincare benefits.
Your True Shade will be at the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum being organized by the Caribbean Export Development Agency at the Union Halle in Frankfurt, Germany from September 26 to 28. Together the over 60 Caribbean suppliers, the event organized in collaboration with the European Union and Deutsche Gesellschaft Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) aims to improve trade between the Caribbean and Europe.
Find out more about True Shade Cosmetics: www.yourtrueshade.com and join their community on Facebook @trueshadecosmetics and Instagram @yourtrueshade.
Well executed animations can enhance the viewing experience of both children and adults. Full Circle Animation Studio, from Trinidad and Tobago is just one company in the Caribbean that is excelling in its production of animations and whose body of work is being noticed internationally.
As a result, creators in the company worked tirelessly between December 2017 and May 2018 to perfect the animation for the show.
“This show had a very unique and distinctive style of design and animation. It looks simple and minimalist but it required us to transmit a lot of emotion through the characters using very limited animation movement. Going in, we had underestimated how challenging that could be, while keeping the provocative edge that really defines the style of the show. In that regard, it was a new technical experience for us†said Managing Director Jason Lindsay.
Mr. Lindsay also noted that the experience benefitted his team tremendously. “For a young animation industry like ours here in Trinidad, the main long-term benefit of an opportunity like this is the investment in our human resource. The experience and technical/creative insight gained from our animators working with an experienced production studio like Big Jump Entertainment is invaluable. The entire team benefited from it tremendously,†he stated.
Full Circle has also worked on smaller productions which were broadcast on The Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Universal Studios, DreamWorks TV and RAI as well as on projects in the Caribbean.
The company has also collaborated with other companies in the Caribbean on regional and international projects. “On our very first outsourcing job, we collaborated with animation studios in Barbados and Jamaica. Since then, it’s not uncommon for us to work with animation studios in St. Lucia, Barbados and Jamaica for international outsourcing clients. We’ve collaborated on projects with Malfinis Productions in St. Lucia, Alycone Animation and Skyres in Jamaica and Westoonz and BIMAP in Barbados.
“We’ve also developed working relationships with a network of recording studios, casting directors and voice actors in Grenada, Belize, Suriname, Dominica, and Guyana for projects based on Caribbean content like the CARICOM mini-series Pepperpot Valley,†the Managing Director explained.
Now focused on expansion and growth, Full Circle is looking to offer its services on the European market. To that end they will participate in the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum being held in Frankfurt, Germany by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in collaboration with the European Commission and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ).
This will be an opportunity for them to explore business options available on the European market and to give Europeans some highlights of their vast repertoire.
The Business Forum is a high-profile event which seeks to develop and build international partnerships through business to business meetings, networking and business consultations.
Le rhum a été
découvert, produit et perfectionné dans les plantations de sucre dans les Caraïbes depuis
le17ème siècle. Au cours de la
Depuis plusieurs années, la demande pour ce sous-produit de la canne à sucre a augmenté dans le monde entier.
Les exportations mondiales de rhum du CARIFORUM (un regroupement de quinze pays des Caraïbes) vers l’Europe ont augmenté de 26,86 % au cours des trois dernières années pour atteindre une valeur de 1,45 million d’euros. Les principaux importateurs sont l’Espagne et l’Allemagne, la consommation de l’Espagne représentant 14 % du marché des spiritueux.
Afin d’améliorer et de renforcer les exportations en Europe, les représentants des industries productrices de rhum du CARIFORUM convergeront vers Francfort, en Allemagne, du 26 au 28 septembre 2019, à l’occasion du 4e Forum des entreprises de l’UE du CARIFORUM, pour nouer des relations et accroître la sensibilisation en Europe.
Le forum d’affaires est organisé par l’Agence caribéenne pour le développement des exportations, qui a identifié les industries agroalimentaires et des ingrédients naturels ainsi que les industries culturelles et créatives comme étant les secteurs présentant le plus fort potentiel de croissance en Europe.
Ian Burrell, le SEUL ambassadeur mondial reconnu pour le rhum, dirigera la Master Class sur le rhum le deuxième jour du forum des affaires.
S’exprimant sur le développement de cette industrie au fil des ans, le directeur de la compétitivité et de la promotion des exportations de Caribbean Export, Damie Sinanan, a noté qu’au cours de la dernière décennie, la production de rhum s’est diversifiée pour inclure une large gamme d’arômes, notamment pomme, ananas, mangue et fruit de la passion. Avec ces nouvelles tendances et l’augmentation de la demande, nous espérons voir une gamme plus diversifiée de rhum des Caraïbes disponible sur le marché européen.
Saviez-vous que…
1. Tous les rhums ne sont pas
sont doux
La plupart des rhums sont fabriqués à partir de mélasse, un sous-produit de la canne à sucre, par un processus de fermentation et de distillation, et après ce processus, il ne reste que de l’alcool. Par conséquent, le rhum à l’état naturel ne contient pas de sucre et la douceur naturelle du rhum provient du vieillissement dans des fûts en bois de chêne américain pour la plupart. Certains producteurs de rhum ajoutent du sucre au rhum distillé afin d’adoucir et d’adoucir le produit, le faisant paraître plus épais et luxueux. Toutefois, vous ne trouverez pas cela dans les pays producteurs de rhum authentique comme la Barbade, la Jamaïque et la Martinique, dont la réglementation interdit l’ajout de sucre et d’autres conservateurs.
2. Les pirates ne buvaient pas seulement du rhum
Si le rhum était considéré comme la boisson de prédilection des pirates entre les années 1660 et 1730, lorsque la piraterie était florissante dans les Caraïbes, les pirates ne buvaient pas que du rhum. Les pirates célèbres comme le véritable capitaine Morgan (né en 1635 au Pays de Galles et mort en 1688 en Jamaïque), Edward Teach alias Barbe Noire et d’autres buvaient tous les types d’alcool et de spiritueux comme le brandy, le porto et le vin espagnol. La plupart du rhum consommé au XVIIe siècle était bu par des personnes vivant dans les Caraïbes, et non par des pirates.
3. Le rhum est français
pour le rhum
Le rhum avec un H est
Il ne s’agit pas d’une faute d’orthographe, mais d’un rhum de style français fabriqué à partir de produits frais.
du jus de canne à sucre pressé plutôt que de la mélasse. Le nom officiel est Rhum
Agricole et ce style de rhum est traditionnellement fabriqué dans les anciennes Caraïbes françaises.
des colonies telles que la Martinique, qui appose l’étiquette AOC Martinique Rhum sur son rhum.
Agricole.
4. Ron est espagnol
pour le rhum
Tout comme les Français ont une façon différente d’épeler le rhum, les Espagnols aussi. En fait, si vous êtes dans un pays hispanophone, le rhum s’écrit Ron. Outre les variantes française et espagnole, il existe d’autres noms pour le rhum. En fait, le rhum porte de nombreux noms non officiels, notamment Aguadiente, Brebaje, Barbados Water, Clarin, Demon Water, Guildive, Killdevil, Nelson’s Blood, Red Eye, Pirates Drink, Navy Neaters, Guildive et Tafia. Quant à l’origine du mot “rhum”, on pense qu’il provient d’un vieux mot anglais appelé Rumbullion, utilisé pour décrire l’alcool de canne à sucre à la Barbade au milieu des années 1600 et signifiant “tumulte”. Un autre lien est établi avec le mot Rumbustious en raison des effets de la consommation de rhum.
5. Pas tous âgés
les rhums sont sombres
Il y a
Il existe différents types de rhum : or, brun, blanc, épicé,
aromatisée et trop forte. Le rhum vieilli tend
pour être sombre, mais il y a aussi des rhums blancs vieillis. Le rhum blanc vieilli est obtenu
en mettant le rhum distillé dans un tonneau de chêne qui est filtré au charbon de bois, et ce…
enlève la couleur foncée mais laisse au rhum la riche saveur des rhums plus foncés.
rhums. La clarté et la fraîcheur des rhums blancs en font un choix parfait pour…
à boire pur (seul), ou avec de la glace et du citron vert ou dans un cocktail au rhum complet.
Beyond Cane Spirit Rothschild (CSR) et Brinley Gold Shipwreck, deux rhums blancs
de Saint-Kitts, un rhum blanc vieilli extrêmement populaire est le Barcardi, dont les origines remontent à l’époque de l’Union européenne.
Cuba mais maintenant produit à Porto Rico.
6. Il y a
différentes façons de vivre et de savourer le rhum
Le rhum est souvent associé à du coca (light) ou à des jus de fruits, mais il existe d’autres façons de boire ce spiritueux mondial. Pour les rhums de qualité supérieure aux saveurs et aux arômes complexes, il est préférable de les boire purs ou avec un verre d’eau ou un glaçon. Les rhums de qualité supérieure conviennent également parfaitement aux cocktails classiques tels que les Old fashions et les Manhattans. Une tendance croissante consiste à associer le rhum à différents types d’aliments, dont le chocolat et les guimauves. Savourer un verre de rhum de qualité supérieure pur en fumant un cigare est également un autre passe-temps favori. Notez que lorsque vous vous rendez dans un bar ou une rhumerie des Caraïbes, vous pouvez entendre straight ou straight up au lieu de neat pour un shot de rhum.
7. Le rhum arrive
toutes les gammes de prix
Comme pour tous les autres spiritueux, les prix du rhum varient de bas en haut. Les bouteilles de rhum d’entrée de gamme se situent entre 20 et 60 dollars, mais les prix peuvent être beaucoup plus élevés. Par exemple, un rhum Appleton Estate Independence 50 ans d’âge, distillé en 1962 mais mis en bouteille en 2012, se vend environ 5 000 dollars. Ce n’est pas surprenant puisque seulement 800 bouteilles du rhum jamaïcain Appleton Estate 50 ans d’âge Independence Rum ont été mises en circulation. Un rhum jamaïcain Wray & Nephew de 17 ans d’âge, utilisé dans le premier Mai Tai en 1944, est encore plus coûteux et est estimé à environ 52 000 dollars. Un autre rhum très prisé et très cher était le rhum Harewood Estate découvert vers 2011, qui a la particularité d’être le plus vieux rhum du monde. Embouteillées initialement à la Barbade vers 1780, 24 bouteilles ont été vendues aux enchères par Christie’s à Londres en 2013 et 2014 pour 250 000 £ (environ 332 000 $ US).
8. Pas tous les rhums
commercialisés comme du rhum sont du rhum
Avec la popularité croissante et la demande mondiale de rhums, il n’est peut-être pas surprenant qu’il existe désormais de fausses marques de rhum. Les rhums de contrefaçon sont courants en Europe où la canne à sucre n’est pas cultivée. Par exemple, Tuzem, une boisson distillée de la République tchèque, a été commercialisée comme du rhum, mais elle n’est pas fabriquée à partir de canne à sucre ou de sous-produits, mais de pommes de terre ou de betteraves sucrières. Les autres faux rhums à surveiller sont le rhum Verschnitt d’Allemagne et le rhum Inlander d’Autriche. Il faut donc s’en tenir aux marques de rhum connues et, pour les Caraïbes, choisir celles qui portent le label Authentic Caribbean Rum Marque.
Jetez un coup d’œil aux producteurs de rhum des Caraïbes qui seront présents à Francfort, en Allemagne, du 26 au 28 septembre 2019, à l’occasion du 4e Forum des affaires CARIFORUM UE.
Caribbean Export has identified the cultural and creative industries as high potential growth areas in Europe and in collaboration with the European Union and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) the event will see over 60 Caribbean companies showcase their products and services to the attending audiences.
With the realization that there is an increase in the demand for Caribbean music at a number of cultural events in Europe, including Summerjam Reggae Festival in Germany, Ibiza Soca Festival in Spain and Reggae Sun Ska Festival in France, Caribbean Export is hoping to promote more Caribbean music to Europeans. This is part of their larger efforts to encourage the export of work done by cultural industries in CARIFORUM countries to Europe.
Other activities on the Discover the Caribbean Day include a film festival where patrons can watch a range films and animations produced in the Caribbean. There will be over 60 different food and beverage producers sampling products enabling consumers curious about what the Caribbean has to offer, to come out and Discover the Caribbean.Â
The demand for natural medicine in Europe has grown at a tremendous rate as Europeans becoming more and more conscious about their health and the quality of the goods they consume.
In 2017, the global nutraceuticals product market reached US$204 billion. With an abundance of medicinal plants, the Caribbean is ripe with natural remedies to supply the increase in demand for natural ingredients.
A common experience for many people living in the Caribbean and visitors is the irritating mosquito bite. It’s an unwanted experience of millions all over the world and with this desire to use natural remedies drove medical doctors Gayle Devaux-Segovia and Carlos Segovia to develop natural repellent prior to the birth of their first child. They wanted to make a natural insect repellent safe enough to use on a baby.
“When our son was born, we used the insect repellent on him and it worked very well. We got a lot of encouragement from people so in 1997 we formed a company called Natmed Ltd. We branded the product under Caribbean Blue Naturals and twenty years later, it is still one of our best sellers,†Dr. Gayle Devaux-Segovia explained.
Over the years, Dr. Gayle and her husband added more products to Caribbean Blue Naturals: deodorant, body spray, hand sanitizers and sun screen to list a few. They are all natural, cruelty-free, reef-safe, non-GMO, 100% biodegradable and mostly vegan as they use beeswax in their lip balm and candles.
Dr. Carlos Segovia said they source the majority of their ingredients locally. According to him, these ingredients included Saint Lucia cocoa, aloe vera, seaweed extract, nutmeg and other Caribbean spices. Our mission is to produce all natural products of the highest quality and make them affordable to the general public, he noted.
The Saint Lucian company will showcase its wide range of natural products at the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum organized by the Caribbean Export Development Agency in collaboration with the European Union and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ). Along with over 60 other Caribbean companies, the Business Forum enables buyers and consumers to meet suppliers and source products from the Caribbean over 3 days from 26th to the 28th September 2019 at the Union Halle, Frankfurt, Germany.
Sophia Stone founded Caribbean Cure in 2015. The Trinidad-based tea company was borne out of her passion for using nature to promote health and wellness.
“I wanted to honour the long standing tradition in the Caribbean of using herbs and bush teas,†she said. “And backed by science, my goal was to make these healing remedies more efficacious, convenient and attractive to today’s consumer.”
Bombarded with ideas and wondering how she could turn some of them into a profitable entrepreneurial venture, Sophia quit her full-time job, to focus on the full-time pursuit of her dream.
But her initial line of eight herbal supplements failed to garner the success she’d hoped, and after depleting her savings, Stone was faced with two very clear choices, pack it all in and quit “dreamingâ€; or, find another way to make the dream work. Like any true entrepreneur, she chose the latter.
Sophia’s new plan was to curate tea blends using the ingredients from her supplement line, but virtually all of her family and friends rubbished the idea, advising her to go back to her 9 to 5 – all but one.
Stacy Seeterram, a friend, and confidant, believed in Sophia’s idea, so she asked Stacy to partner with her in creating this new venture.
What helped to make the Caribbean Cure dream a reality, and what kept you motivated?
With five tea blends currently on the market, and the approval of family and friends who indulge in their curative, feel-good concoctions, Seeterram says their approach to business is one of their greatest motivators.
“We try not to worry about being successful,†she shared. “What we do is work toward being significant.â€
In addition to keeping them excited about turning up for work each day, this approach won them international recognition as producers of world-class teas.
An opportunity to honour family traditions also keeps the duo laser-focused. There’s a little bit of history brewed in each cup of Caribbean Cure tea. Island Breeze, a delicate blend that includes cardamom pods and white tea, is a tribute to Stone’s Afghan/Canadian heritage, and borrows from one of her family recipes; while Carnival Oasis with its inclusion of cinnamon, clove and mauby bark, transports Stacy – a Trinidadian, with roots woven throughout the West Indies – back to her childhood, as it conjures memories of her grandmother’s “magical” blends.
What’s next for Caribbean Cure?
Caribbean Cure’s short-term intention is to increase production capacity and efficiencies to enable greater access to Caribbean markets. Through the Women Empowered through Export (WE-Xport) programme, they have forged key partnerships with a strong CARIFORUM trade agenda.
In July 2018, Caribbean Cure, unveiled new packaging, beautiful tea tins, adorned with designs created by a local artist.
The team is now set to enter into the next phase of tea export negotiations with their partners in the EU, Canada and Japan, and feels poised for an upward swing in the company’s development. They’ll be participating in the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum and Authentic Caribbean Expo hosted by Caribbean Export on September 26-28, 2019 in Frankfurt, Germany.
A few takeaways for budding & aspiring entrepreneurs.
Sophia and Stacy share that one of the most valuable lessons they’ve learned on their entrepreneurial journey is the importance of releasing emotional attachment in order to facilitate growth. “Do not fear mistakes,†Stone advised. “Regrets are far more difficult to deal with than mistakes. You walk away from a mistake having learned something, but a regret is a missed opportunity,†she said. “Even if it seems beyond your reach, try. You will amaze yourself with what you are capable of.â€
Find out more about Caribbean Cure: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn – @caribbeancure and by visiting their website www.caribbean-cure.com.
