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Solomon Islands cacao used to make 'ethical easter eggs' in Australia

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two gloved hands hold chocolate easter eggs
South Pacific Cacao 'ethical easter egg'(Supplied: South Pacific Cacao/ Instagram)
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Brian Atkin from South Pacific Cacao buys beans from Solomon Islands and butter from Papua New Guinea to create sustainable Easter treats.

"Our ethical easter egg is a 75 per cent dark chocolate shell... [and] we've got a filling made from the amazing ngali nuts," Mr Atkin told Pacific Beat.

A Solomon Islander himself, Mr Atkin runs his chocolate company in Australia.

He said during the COVID-19 pandemic, Solomon Islands closed its borders and the supply of cacao beans dried up.

"We should be on our third shipment for the year but we haven't been able to get anything up to this point" he said.

Mr Atkin said 'around 35 people' in his father's village of Tawatana in West Makira have caught the coronavirus disease.

"It is a real problem for them," he said.

While his chocolate business has struggled with supply chain issues and lockdowns, Mr Atkin believes more companies should turn to the Pacific for their ingredients.

"The Pacific is producing such world class products," he said.

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Solomon Islands, Food and Cooking