Take a peek at the health benefits of chocolate from a nutritionist and the inspirational stories of local chocolate MSMEs on Tokopedia, Krakakoa, and Falala Chocolate!
Jakarta, 3 July 2023 - World Chocolate Day is celebrated every year on 7 July. Chocolate, which comes from cocoa beans, is known as one of the commodities with the highest trade value in the world.
Quoting the website of the Ministry of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia, Indonesia is the third largest chocolate processing industry in the world, after the Netherlands and Ivory Coast.* Indonesia's artisanal or handmade chocolate industry is recorded to produce 1,242 tons of processed chocolate per year, with a market share of 1.3% of domestic chocolate consumption. Artisan chocolate has the opportunity to fill the market share of 10% or more in Indonesia.**
"Collaboration of all parties is needed to encourage the progress of the Indonesian chocolate industry. Tokopedia continues to provide a stage for local food and beverage entrepreneurs, including chocolate, through the Tokopedia NYAM! Campaign making it easier to reach people in 99% of sub-districts in Indonesia," said Sherine Pranata, Category Development Senior Lead Tokopedia.
The Number of Buyers and Transactions for Local Chocolate Increased Many Times Over on Tokopedia
Thanks to Tokopedia NYAM!, people's enthusiasm for chocolate has increased. "Pidie (North Sumatra), Central Tapanuli (North Sumatra), Mesuji (Lampung), Bangli (Bali), and Talaud Islands (North Sulawesi) experienced the highest increase in the number of chocolate buyers on Tokopedia, with an average increase of more than two times in second quarter of 2023," said Sherine. ***
"On the other hand, Pidie (North Sumatra), Central Tapanuli (North Sumatra), Bangli (Bali), Sabu Rajiua (East Nusa Tenggara), and Raja Ampat (West Papua) are areas with the highest increase in the number of chocolate transactions on Tokopedia, with the average increase of more than three times,” added Sherine. *** Tokopedia NYAM! also positively impacted chocolate entrepreneurs in Indonesia, including MSMEs such as Krakakoa (Lampung) and Falala Chocolate (Bali).
Tokopedia MSME 'Krakakoa' Uses 100% Chocolate from Local Farmers
Initially, Krakakoa Founder, Sabrina Mustopo, had zero knowledge of the chocolate industry. That changed when she read a statistics report on the chocolate industry in Indonesia. “I am surprised to see that cocoa production in Indonesia is decreasing, the income of cocoa farmers is minimal, and the quality of chocolate is decreasing. From this situation, there is a huge opportunity to do something for the welfare of cocoa farmers in Indonesia," said Sabrina.
In 2013, Sabrina founded Krakakoa. "Krakakoa involves hundreds of local cocoa farmers, from Aceh, Lampung, Bali, to Sulawesi, to produce cocoa beans that can be sold to Krakakoa at a higher market price," said Sabrina.
“Krakakoa also empowers local farmers. As an example of our efforts, we provided training for 1,000 farmers in the national parks of Lampung, Sumatra, and West Sulawesi so they can produce quality cocoa beans," said Sabrina.
To make local chocolate more accessible for all Indonesians, Sabrina also uses Tokopedia. “Now more than 75% of Krakakoa's online sales come from Tokopedia. This indirectly helps empower cocoa farmers to continue to be passionate about planting and producing high quality, 100% authentic Indonesian chocolate," said Sabrina.
Initially Losing Millions, Falala Chocolate Bali Now Reaches All Over Indonesia through Tokopedia
Founder of Falala Chocolate Bali, Dewa Gede Padma Arta Putra (or “Dode”), founded a halal-certified chocolate business, Falala Chocolate Bali, with his girlfriend when he was in university at the start of the pandemic. Dode had a capital of IDR 13 million from pocket money.
“Creating Falala Chocolate Bali from the ground up was a challenging experience. We had to learn the ins and outs of the business and even process the chocolate ourselves. Unfortunately, we faced complaints from many customers due to inadequate packaging, resulting in a financial loss of millions of rupiah and a negative budget in one day,” said Dode.
Buyer reviews were the basis for Falala Chocolate Bali to innovate and make better packaging. Over time, Dode was able to rise and now has six employees. Dode also utilizes the Tokopedia digital platform to increase business competitiveness and expand market reach outside Bali.
“We started participating in the Tokopedia NYAM! campaign in early 2023. Now Falala Chocolate has experienced a more than two-fold increase in transactions during the second quarter of 2023 compared to the second quarter of 2022. In fact, the number of our inter-island transactions through Tokopedia almost tripled. This is because Tokopedia can facilitate food delivery outside the island safely and quickly," said Dode.
Tokopedia Partners with a Nutritionist to Share the Benefits of Chocolate for Health
Besides having high economic value, chocolate also has many good benefits for the health of the body. Tokopedia, together with Nutritionist dr. Elfina Rachmi, M.Gizi, SpGK, shares the various benefits of chocolate for health ahead of World Chocolate Day 2023.
1. Prevent Heart Disease and Reduce High Blood Pressure
“Chocolate contains chemical compounds that can help the cardiovascular system run smoother. Consuming dark chocolate, which is rich in minerals such as iron, magnesium, and zinc, can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and heart attacks and reduce high blood pressure," said Dr. Elfina with Tokopedia.
2. Weight Loss and Prevent Premature Aging
Chocolate tends to be considered a trigger for weight gain. "If consumed in sufficient portions, namely 30-50 grams daily, dark chocolate can help you lose weight. Chocolate can increase the sensitivity of the leptin hormone, which triggers a feeling of fullness, and reduces the ghrelin hormone, which can reduce hunger," said dr. Elfina with Tokopedia.
"Besides losing weight, chocolate contains flavonoids and natural antioxidants to fight free radicals in the body. This can help improve blood circulation to the brain, thereby preventing dementia and premature aging," said dr. Elfina with Tokopedia.
Cocoa powder-based masks can also be a lightener for skin that darkens due to sun exposure. This is because the content in chocolate can help stimulate skin cells to regenerate and reduce pigment production. "On Tokopedia, sales of facial mask products with cocoa powder have increased more than five times," said Sherine.****
3. Calms the Mind and Improves Mood
Chocolate is known to improve moods. "The efficacy of chocolate is obtained from some of the chocolate content, which has antidepressant effects, such as endorphins and serotonin, so that it can improve and maintain a balanced mood," said dr. Elfina with Tokopedia.
"Public interest in consuming chocolate-based foods tends to be high, which is seen from online shopping trends, such as chocolate cookies. The number of chocolate cookie buyers on Tokopedia increased by more than 1.5 times during the second quarter of 2023," concluded Sherine. ***
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Source: Situs Kementerian Perindustrian Republik Indonesia
**Source: Situs Kementerian Perindustrian Republik Indonesia
***Source: Tokopedia, data kuartal II 2023 dibandingkan kuartal II 2022
***Source: Tokopedia, Data kuartal II 2023 dibandingkan kuartal II 2022
****Source: Tokopedia, Data April 2023 dibandingkan April 2022
About Tokopedia
Tokopedia is an Indonesian technology company with the goal of achieving digital economic equality. Tokopedia’s vision is to build a Super Ecosystem that enables anybody to start and explore anything. Tokopedia currently empowers millions of sellers and users via marketplaces, digital products, fintech and payments, logistics and fulfillment, and Tokopedia Partners. Tokopedia is a member of the GoTo group, the largest digital ecosystem in Indonesia that encompasses Gojek, Tokopedia, and GoTo Financial.
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