Refreshed brand identity emphasizes Divine’s authentic social mission through deep partnership with Fairtrade America and unique “Co-owned by Cocoa Farmers” business model

WASHINGTON (October 14th, 2021) – Fairtrade America is pleased to announce that its long-time partner, Divine Chocolate, has unveiled a fresh new look that highlights the chocolate maker’s social mission to empower farmers and consumers through creating a supply chain that shares value more equitably. Divine’s rebrand was influenced by consumer data that shows more than 60% of shoppers are compelled to purchase the chocolate because it is made with Fairtrade ingredients, ensuring farmers are compensated and treated fairly. The new branding focuses on connecting shoppers to Divine’s commitment to improving farmers’ lives through vibrant packaging that prominently features the brand’s co-ownership with cocoa farmers and its Fairtrade certification.

Affiliated with Fairtrade since 1998, Divine’s base chocolate is made with all Fairtrade-certified ingredients, including cocoa, sugar, vanilla, and, when possible, Divine opts for Fairtrade add-ins, such as almonds, coconut, and more. Divine goes above and beyond paying farmers the Fairtrade Minimum Price and the Fairtrade Premium, a fund that farming cooperatives receive on top of the price of the product to democratically apply to community programs. Specifically, the brand includes the farmers of Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana, who are co-owners of Divine, in strategic decision making through 40% board representation, provides farmers with their share of distributable profits to allocate throughout their farms and communities, and invests in farmer projects related to gender equality, securing land rights, improving farming techniques, and organization governance.

“We are truly honored to partner with a purpose-driven company like Divine that exemplifies the values and mission of the Fairtrade movement to the core,” said Peg Willingham, Executive Director, Fairtrade America. “It has been our honor to consult and collaborate with them to make a positive impact on the cocoa farmers who work hard to produce the quality cocoa that makes Divine Chocolate bars so outrageously delicious.”

The cocoa industry is plagued by serious issues, including poverty and child labor, which can be positively impacted by implementing fair prices. Fairtrade, and its brand partners like Divine, work to combat these issues at the root by enabling farmers to earn more from their crops. Cocoa sourcing is more ethical when companies source Fairtrade ingredients because small-scale farmers, who grow two-thirds of the world’s cocoa, get a fairer price for their crops and are supported in investing in their families and communities. US consumers are on board to pay a fair price as well. A recent study revealed that US shoppers are willing to pay up to 30% per bar more for Fairtrade chocolate.¹

“When it comes to chocolate, small choices create big changes,” said Troy Pearley, Executive Vice President and General Manager, North America of Divine Chocolate. “These branding updates better reflect our commitment to the social and economic exploitation that has impacted the cocoa industry. Every chocolate bar that consumers purchase improves the lives of farmers and their families.” 

As more chocolate brands continue to partner with Fairtrade and pay a fair price for their cocoa, positive signs emerge that the situation is improving for cocoa farmers. Fairtrade recently published this study that reveals Fairtrade cocoa farmers in Côte d’Ivoire have increased their incomes by 85% over the past several years, and that a greater proportion are living above extreme poverty levels.² The increase was driven in part by increased revenue from cocoa sales and diversification through in-kind and off-farm incomes.

Divine Chocolate is available for purchase nationwide as well as online at shop.divinechocolateusa.com, and the Fairtrade Product Finder can help locate the retailer nearest you. For more information on Fairtrade’s partnership with Divine Chocolate, visit www.fairtradeamerica.org.

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1. 2021 Fairtrade Consumer Insights report conducted by GlobeScan, an online survey of over 2,000 U.S. consumers and over 15,000 consumers globally.
2. 2021 Fairtrade Cocoa Farmer Income Report.

About Fairtrade America

Fairtrade America betters the lives of farmers and workers in developing countries by inspiring businesses to implement ethical production practices and assisting shoppers in making informed purchasing decisions. Fairtrade America is the U.S. chapter of Fairtrade International, the original and global leader in fair trade certification with over 30 years of experience working to make trade fair, with headquarters in more than 30 countries across the globe. A non-profit 501(c)3 organization, Fairtrade America is the world’s largest and most recognized fair trade system—part of a global movement for change. Learn more at www.fairtradeamerica.org, and by connecting with Fairtrade America on Instagram and LinkedIn.

About Divine Chocolate:

Divine Chocolate has been making delicious Fairtrade and palm oil-free chocolate since 1998 and has been sold in the U.S since 2007. Established by farmers of Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana, from the start, the company has prioritized its farmers, used only Fairtrade cocoa, and invested in farmer-led programs including improving farming techniques, empowering women, and supporting fair labor practices. The company is not only a Fairtrade leader, but also a multi-year honoree recognized as “Best for the World – Communities” by B-Corporation certifiers. Its complete line of products is sold worldwide, and online at shop.divinechocolateusa.com. For more information, please visit DivineChocolate.com and follow us @divinechocolateusa on Instagram. 

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World’s First Fairtrade, B-Corp Certified, Co-owned-by-Farmers Chocolate Company Leads

Joyful Activism with Singular Purpose

Washington, DC (September 28, 2021) – Divine Chocolate, the world’s first and only Fairtrade, B-Corp certified, and co-owned-by-farmers chocolate company, is proud to debut refreshed branding that features vibrant new packaging and a powerful call to action for chocolate lovers worldwide to help end exploitation in the cocoa industry.

Encircled by the tagline “every bar directly improves the lives of farmers,” a modern logo depicts the brand’s iconic handshake to communicate Divine Chocolate’s partnership with farmer-owners. To connect consumers to how their purchasing choices can empower others, each wrapper highlights the Divine Difference and Divine’s mission to change the cocoa industry. The brand’s 13 flavors of dark, milk, and white chocolate bars feature shareable pieces, each also imprinted with the roundel, cocoa beans, and the brand’s “one purpose” mission statement. 

“When it comes to chocolate, small choices create big changes,” said Troy Pearley, Executive Vice President and General Manager, North America of Divine Chocolate. “These branding updates better reflect our commitment to the social and economic exploitation that has impacted the cocoa industry. Every chocolate bar that consumers purchase improves the lives of farmers and their families.”

Fully traceable from bean to bar, farmers co-own the company, allowing the cocoa in every chocolate product to be traced back to the village from which it originated. Shade-grown, and hand-harvested, these best-in-class practices ensure excellence of quality and drive the highest standards of social and economic good.

The poverty created by farmer exploitation is a root cause of issues within the cocoa industry, ranging from child labor and gender inequality to deforestation. In collaboration with Kuapa Kokoo, the co-op that co-owns Divine Chocolate, Divine is committed to leading a revolution that propels change along the cocoa supply chain, enabling farmers and their families to flourish.

A B-Corporation certified company, all Divine Chocolate is made with Fairtrade sugar and single-origin Fairtrade cocoa beans grown by family farmers in the rainforests of Ghana. Its chocolate bars contain 

Available for purchase nationwide as well as online at shop.divinechocolateusa.com, offerings include snack bars, a baking collection, unsweetened cocoa powder, crispy thins, organic, mini- bar flights, milk and dark chocolate advent calendars, chocolate coins, drinking chocolate and holiday editions.

For more information about Divine Chocolate and to learn how every Divine Chocolate bar helps end exploitation in the cocoa industry, please visit us at DivineChocolate.com and follow us at @divinechocolateusa on Instagram.

About Divine Chocolate

Divine Chocolate has been making delicious Fairtrade and palm oil-free chocolate since 1998 in the UK and has been sold in the US since 2007 and in Canada since 2011. Established by farmers of Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana, from the start, the company has prioritized farmers, used only Fairtrade cocoa, and invested in farmer-led programs including improving farming techniques, empowering women, and supporting fair labor practices. The company is not only a Fairtrade leader, but also a multi-year honoree recognized as “Best for the World – Communities” by B-Corporation certifiers. Its complete line of products is sold worldwide, and online at shop.divinechocolateusa.com. For more information, please visit DivineChocolate.com and follow us @divinechocolateusa on Instagram.

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I spent one week in Ghana in June this year together with my colleague Peter Akortsu. Peter comes from Ghana and worked at Kuapa Kokoo for many years. Now, he is living in Sweden and working for The House of Fair Trade. This gave me a lot of opportunities to meet people within the co-operative. (Both farmers and people working at the office.) I also met Mr. Nana Bio, the founder of Kuapa, and Fatima Ali, Kuapa’s President!

Together with Mabel Tagoe we arranged and financed a workshop with 20 women from Offinso District and Agona District. They gave us a whole day’s presentation on how to make black soap and batiks. Our goal is to market this soap in Sweden in the near future! I have been using this soap the whole time since then.

We spent two days in New Koforidua meeting Walter, a Fair Trade city coordinator. He took us out to a cocoa farm. Mr. Frederick Gamor explained that it is really hard work harvesting pods from the tree. Frederick let me try, and I can confirm that! He told me that farmers spend seven hours per day, six day per week on their farms.

Within the cocoa pod, you can see the white sweet envelope around the cocoa beans. Frederick let me taste, and it was delicious. They emptied out the pods on palm leaves that have been spread out on the ground. Here they stay for about a week, wrapped in another layer of palm leaves for protection & to keep in the heat. During that time the white flesh is fermented and then the cocoa beans are laid out on a large table in the sun to dry. It is only now that the beans are starting to taste like the chocolate we know, at least a little of the bitter taste of chocolate.

Peter, who speaks the local language, was having a chat with Mrs. Mansah Nyame. She explained about all the good things the Fairtrade premium has meant for the village.

The village Kuapa vice president, Abena Ferida, tasted a Divine Chocolate bar, and although it had melted on its way from Sweden, she thought it was a great experience.

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KCG is a smallholder sugar cane project that was set up in 1996 as part of a joint venture with the Malawian government and a nearby sugar mill, now operated by Illovo Sugar, Africa’s biggest sugar producer. An area of largely unproductive land was converted to sugar cane production to increase the supply of raw cane to the mill while providing an income for 762 subsistence farmers. The initiative now also provides employment for more than 800 permanent and seasonal field workers.

KCG was Fairtrade certified in 2002 and now sells its entire production of around 8,000 tonnes of sugar to Fairtrade buyers (including Divine chocolate). KCG negotiates a contract price with Illovo mill for its sugar cane and is paid an additional Fairtrade Premium of $60 for each tonne of processed cane sugar. The Fairtrade Premium has been invested in improving sugar cane productivity and in healthcare, clean water, education and other community projects.

Changing weather patterns, unpredictable rainfalls, higher than average temperatures and low market sugar prices are challenges that members of the Kasinthula Cane Growers’ Association face. In particular, heavy flooding in 2015 and 2017 severely affected the farmers’ yields, household property and livestock.

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Chilenje lives in the Ntondeza village in the Chikwawa district of Malawi. He is married with four children. His friends and family call him Chilenje and he is happy for us to call him Chilenje too during his visit to the UK.

Kasinthula Cane Growers’ Association (KCG)

KCG is a smallholder sugar cane project that was set up in 1996 as part of a joint venture with the Malawian government and a nearby sugar mill, now operated by Illovo Sugar, Africa’s biggest sugar producer. An area of largely unproductive land was converted to sugar cane production to increase the supply of raw cane to the mill while providing an income for 762 subsistence farmers. The initiative now also provides employment for more than 800 permanent and seasonal field workers.

Kasinthula has been Fairtrade certified since 2002 and now sells its entire production of around 8,000 tonnes of sugar to Fairtrade buyers (including Divine Chocolate). KCG negotiates a contract price with Illovo mill for its sugar cane and is paid an additional Fairtrade Premium of $60 for each tonne of processed cane sugar. The Fairtrade Premium has been invested in improving sugar cane productivity and in healthcare, clean water, education and other projects to alleviate poverty in the community.

Changing weather patterns, unpredictable rainfalls, higher than average temperatures and low market sugar prices are challenges that members of the Kasinthula Cane Growers’ Association face. In particular, heavy flooding in 2015 and 2017 severely affected the farmers’ yields, household property and livestock.

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Moriba explains: “We got everyone together to carry out a needs assessment for our area. We then worked up a development plan which will guide how we spend our Fairtrade Premium money. Clean water and good toilets are a priority. A lot of the communities where the cocoa is grown, they don’t have really good water. Sometimes people have to go the stream to get water to drink or to old water wells which are not very good for our health. We aim to have two water stand-pipes and two toilets in each village. This will reduce those diseases we get from contaminated water, and sanitation will be promoted in our community.”

Other priorities in the development plan include education, road infrastructure, a communal rice mill and a new marketplace for Gorahun:

Education

Many farmer parents in Sierra Leone cannot afford to send their children to school, as school fees need to be paid to attend. Even with their income from cocoa, rice or palm oil farming, families struggle to have enough money to send children to school. Moriba wants to address this problem: “We have children, and these children are going to school, but normally our earnings are too low to actually continue paying for our children to carry on after primary school. So our development plan includes working with development partners to provide scholarships. These scholarships will keep children in education until secondary school, helping our community to become well educated.”

Road infrastructure

Another important need that Moriba elaborated on was the local road network. “There are certain villages that are actually producing cocoa, but those villages are not accessible. So if we get the premium there are certain villages that we need to connect up with new roads, so that farmers can go and bring the cocoa to the town, making transportation a lot easier.”

And it’s not just roads themselves, as the roads are sometimes carried over bridges which are old, crumbling and in desperate need of repair: “Another thing we found out about the road network is that there are certain villages that have good roads, but the bridges are damaged. So the transportation of the cocoa is stopped and people have to carry the cocoa. We have also decided in our development plan, to focus on repairing a few key bridges to connect the busiest cocoa-travelling routes to the collection centres.”

Communal rice mill

It is common in the Gorahun region of Sierra Leone to see women and children in the hot sun pounding freshly harvested rice for hours on end, using huge pestles and mortars. It is back breaking work, but necessary to create processed rice for cooking as their staple food. Another thing in Moriba’s development plan is to invest in a communal rice mill. The mill, a significant investment, will belong to all members of the Ngoleagorbu cooperative. Moriba shared his frustrations on the current situation: “We found out that our wives and children have a lot of work burden on them. Especially when it comes to pounding rice. They use the mortar and pestle. There are times when lunch is delayed to dinner time, because the pounding of the rice is so time-consuming.”

Their solution? To buy a rice mill, which will cut the time and effort to process the harvested rice dramatically. It will also generate income for members of Ngoleagorbu and Moriba plans to charge non-Ngoleagorbu members to use it, thus helping cover the running costs of the mill. Any surplus will be invested in the community: “The reason why we have said we are going to buy the rice mill, is because it is going to reduce the workload on our women and children. And secondly, it will also generate income for us.”

A new marketplace for Gorahun

Another problem that Moriba and his community identified during the needs assessment was the fact that Gorahun does not currently have a central daily market for buying and selling food. Moriba’s plans therefore include money set aside to build a marketplace in the town. Special features included in the initial designs for the marketplace include new toilets and a new water pipe.

Moriba explains: “We lack a proper daily marketplace. We don’t have a structure where our people can really go to assemble their wares. It will be a proper structure, with a roof, so that we can do business in all weathers. And everyone will know where to go to buy or sell, helping to boost our local economy. That’s what we really need.”

One of the women supporting this community development is Amie G, another cocoa farmer and member of the Ngoleagorbu cooperative. She said: “We really need this marketplace- especially for the women. When we build the market, it will promote unity among women, because it will become an important gathering place for the community to come together. At the moment, we just have makeshift stalls and tables outside our houses and on our verandas; the new marketplace will become the focal point for the town and when people from other towns and villages come, they will gather in the marketplace and easily identify where to buy our community’s goods.”

Hope for the future

Moriba was very positive and hopeful that the Fairtrade Premium would bring prosperity and improved quality of life to the people of the Gorahun region. He works hard to ensure all of the community members have their say in how the money should be spent, and has taken a personal oath to ensure the money is spent judiciously.

As Lucia Mansaray, another of the Ngoleagorbu farmers who works alongside Moriba put it, “Everything written in our development plan, if we go according to that and achieve everything, it will create a huge difference in our lives.”

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“Ngoleagorbu cocoa farmers are Fairtrade co-operative farmers, which brings many benefits. For example, previously when we were not organised as farmer co-operatives, we weren’t selling our cocoa for a good price. The buyers we used to sell to had more power over us and would under-value our cocoa. Now we have the bargaining power of the Ngoleagorbu cooperative, our price has increased.”

Sidie reports that they used to receive 7,000 Leones per kilogram of cocoa, but this has more than doubled to 15,000 Leones, thanks to being part of Ngoleagorbu. This has helped Sidie and his family to have a better quality of life.

Another benefit of Ngoleagorbu is the training that has been introduced for all farmers in the co-operative. For example, Sidie has received training from the group on how to achieve better yields through an improved pruning process and regular ‘brushing’ (cutting down weeds) on their farms.

Further Ngoleagorbu-led improvements have been implemented into Sidie’s farming that have both improved the yield and the quality of his cocoa beans: “During harvest time, we cut down the pods, separate out any bad ones, and break open the pods, pulling out the cocoa beans in their natural moist coating. We ferment the beans in baskets made from banana leaf for around 6 or 7 days. Then we lay them out for drying in the hot sun to allow the flavours to mature. When we were not part of the farmers’ organisation, we used to dry the beans on the forest floor. However we were taught how to dry the beans on specially-made drying tables, which is both easier for us as well as giving us better yields, as the beans have better ventilation, meaning fewer rotten beans. Drying in this way also improves the quality of the beans as the raised tables stop foreign materials from contaminating the beans. ”

Sidie is keen to point out that his cocoa farm is organic: “Ngoleagorbu cocoa farmers don’t use any chemicals in their farms – we have stopped using all the sprays.”

And he has also been trained to use intercropping techniques to bring in income when areas with young cocoa trees are not yet bearing fruit. “We were taught to do intercropping. You see, cocoa trees take a long time, like 4 to 5 years, before they start bearing. So during this time we plant banana, plantain, and pineapple trees which can crop while the cocoa trees mature. We are using all our acreage to be commercial, to sustain ourselves, until the cocoa starts to bear.”

Extra benefits come from the farmers coming together as a group to share labour. For example, when it is time for the all-important “brushing” of the farm – a labour-intensive weed cutting process carried out 3 or 4 times a year – the farmers help each other out, rotating around the farms to get the job done more efficiently. Previously they had to pay other labourers to help out which was more costly.

Sidie has a very deep respect for the rainforest where he lives and works: “The rainforest protects us by cleaning the air we breathe and providing fresh water for our farms and communities. So we protect the forest. We don’t farm there, we don’t log the trees, and we do not go there to fish or hunt.”

The Gola rainforest of Sierra Leone is now an officially protected nature reserve, and Ngoleagorbu supports its farmers to preserve the natural ecosystem. Ngoleagorbu helps to enforce more humane ways of dealing with the many chimpanzees, who sometimes come onto the cocoa farms to eat the delicious cocoa pods! Sidie shared with us exactly how he deals with the pesky chimps: “Before we used to hunt the chimpanzees and do them harm, to protect our crops. Now we are just as effective, but without harming the chimps. Wwe have an iron drum to beat, so we scare the animals away.”

The way in which cocoa trees grow as an integral part of the forest (rather requiring destruction of the forest), is also important for wildlife. Sidie explains: “One of the good things about cocoa farming, you can see animals all around. Our farm provides a kind of movement for them, compared to rice farming. If you’re doing upland rice farming, the whole area will be deforested, which is bad for the animals. With cocoa farming you can see animals roam the forest, the chimpanzee can come, the birds and other animals are passing around, going through the forest. That’s part of why we love cocoa farming.”

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There are so many benefits, I don’t know where to begin! The feeling you have after transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle is amazing – you feel lighter, brighter and with more energy. So many people say their skin clears up and their weight settles… It is the very feeling of health. While I still feel light, bright and clear-headed, I think the novelty has worn off.

That said, I feel mentally great, too, knowing that I am causing the least amount of harm in the world. Promoting kindness and compassion through my food and lifestyle choices helps me to live happily and healthily.

There are also so many options and eating plant-based has allowed me to become much more inventive in the kitchen and opened my eyes to new ingredients and flavours.

Why would you encourage people to go vegan this January?

I would encourage friends and family to try veganism for the month of January as it takes the pressure off the decision to “go vegan”. Lots of people say they could never go vegan because they’d miss bacon sandwiches, eggs, cheese etc too much so here’s a window of 31 days to see how you cope without the pressure. I would ask them to note down how the feel mentally and physically throughout the month and predict that they’ll feel amazing afterwards.

Which egg/dairy alternatives would you recommend for baking?

It is really much easier to cook without eggs than you may think. Aquafaba is a very trendy ingredient – the liquid from a tin of chickpeas. It behaves in the same way as egg white and you can whip it into stiff peaks to make meringues and chocolate mousses as well as stirring into cake batters. I also love using chia or flax seeds to make chia or flax eggs – simply stir the seeds with 3 tbsp water to form the equivalent of one egg (it will be a gloopy gel consistency!).

As far as dairy is concerned, there is such an array of products. With milk you can swap dairy milk like-for-like with almond, oat, soya, coconut, cashew, tigernut, hemp, or pea milk for example. For things like buttermilk, add in 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar to roughly 1 cup of plant-based milk and leave to curdle for 10 minutes to form “buttermilk”.

For cheese, switch up dairy cheese and look for non-dairy varieties in the shops and the same can be said with ice cream, pouring cream, cream cheese and desserts!

What is your favourite vegan friendly Divine Chocolate product and why?

I am a huge fan of the dark chocolate range from Divine Chocolate that happens to be vegan-friendly. It depends what mood I am in, but two firm favourites are the Pink Himalayan Salt and the Hazelnut – which tastes like dark Nutella. They are both great for baking and enjoyed in the evening as a snack. I also love the 2019 Christmas special Smooth Dark with Clementine for a refreshing chocolate bar. I have to add, too, my addiction to the Organic Dark Chocolate with Cacao Nibs as I love the crunch.

LINKS:

www.nourishingamy.com

instagram.com/nourishing.amy

twitter.com/nourishingamy

facebook.com/nourishing.amy

pinterest.co.uk/nourishingamy

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It’s here we meet Ibrahim Moseray – the charismatic general manager of Kpeya Agricultural Enterprise (KAE). He, like all his fellow cocoa farmers, experienced firsthand the terror of the civil war that waged in the country throughout the 90’s, and lost family, friends and the ability to work his farm. Despite the terrible circumstances, Ibrahim nurtured his idea that farmers should run their own cocoa buying and trading business, and liaised with NGOs on the ground and his farmer colleagues to help bring his idea to fruition.

KAE was first established in 1996, and Ibraham persevered with persuading farmers to come on board. KAE has over 1,200 members from 50 villages and has made great strides in creating a working, vibrant cooperative and the farmers are starting to see the tangible benefits of doing things for themselves.

Key to their progress has been the input from Twin, and in turn the help and technical advice from Kuapa Kokoo, the Ghanaian cooperative behind Divine Chocolate. They have helped on organisational issues, helped them improve the quality of their cocoa, and helped them receive Fairtrade certification. Ibrahim guides us to KAE’s new offices on the edge of town and we join all his management team in singing an introduction song – where everyone sings a verse including their own name.

The team, a mix of men and women, young and old were all equally energised and enthusiastic about the organisation they were creating. The Chairman, Sellau Momoh, was born in 1933 and remembered the British encouraging Sierre Leone to plant more cocoa when he was young.

We sat and talked about the challenges facing the KAE. In Sierra Leone there is only one harvest a year and in between, during the summer months is the ‘hunger season’ – when there is next to no income for buying food. The staple food is rice – and the farmers do grow some of their own – but the local market is undermined by subsidised imports.

Farmers have become dependent on being pre-paid for their cocoa with rice – and then not being paid enough on delivering their cocoa to feed their families for the rest of the year. It’s a cycle KAE hopes to break – ultimately ending up with farmers producing more, higher quality cocoa, and being paid a good price when they harvest their cocoa so the income takes them through the hunger season. Other cocoa traders have responded to KAE’s recruitment of farmer members and offered a range of short term incentives to lure them away. But both a good price for the cocoa and the growing number of other benefits they can see – a new school, a new truck, a new depot – are starting to keep members loyal to KAE.

The next day we set off to Batiama, a small village two hours out of Kenema, along some challenging roads and tracks. We arrive to a reception of KAE members and once again the ‘introduction song’ gets everyone laughing.

This is a significant occasion. My mission is to represent Divine Chocolate and explain how their fellow farmers in Ghana, Kuapa Kokoo, agreed to KAE selling their first container of Fairtrade cocoa to Divine, thereby forgoing the premium they would get for the same amount of cocoa. I explain that Kuapa Kokoo was once small like KAE – but over 17 years it has grown and thrived – and it also established its own chocolate company – something to consider for the future! It makes sense for Kuapa to help other farmers sell to Divine – as they still receive their share of the profits.

KAE’s first premium was spent, with the agreement of the members, on buying land for the first proper KAE offices and storeroom which have now been built. It has made the company seem even more tangible – the farmers can see it really is established, professional and in business.

The farmers gathered in Batiama were very interested to hear more about Kuapa Kokoo, but were more focused on the fact that the very chocolate that now contains their first Fairtrade cocoa is in a coolbag next to me. A major tasting session follows – thankfully there’s enough for every single adult and child (with enough left over for Ibrahim to impress his bank manager). We visited two farms and heard the stories of how they had to abandon the farms when the rebels came to their village. Most of the farmers had to flee and came back to the village years later. It took five years to get the cocoa trees back in good condition again and a lot of work needed to be done on planting new trees and pruning the existing ones to improve production.

The farmers are very proud of their new skills to produce better quality cocoa – they have learnt about fermentation and slow drying and now have quality testing equipment. Like Kuapa, they vote for the key KAE representatives in every village and they are seeing the benefit of having their voices heard. Batiama has built its own small school and paid for a teacher to come out to them so now the children no longer walk four miles to school and back each day. Everyone has harrowing stories but there seems to be a sense of determination and optimism – if we went through that, we can get through anything.

56 year old Swaray Salia says:

“Our biggest challenge is getting good money at the right time – and ensuring we have enough to eat through the Hunger Season. We need to work hard on weed control in between harvests and we need food to give us the energy to do it. Cocoa is our only source of income. Since I joined KAE we have been able to build houses for ourselves – I now have my own house. Kpeya had the idea of building a school here in this village so the children didn’t have to walk four miles to school any more. It opened this year. Our water supply is from the river. I hope one day we can earn enough Fairtrade premium to have our own well. My personal dream is to ensure all my children go to school. One of my sons wants to be a cocoa farmer, so the farm will go to him. My message to the people who love chocolate: As we are now exporting our cocoa please help us – and stretch your hands out to us. Let there be communication between the people who eat chocolate and the farmers here. We are simple people and need your support, so our children can be educated. We sometimes go hungry – and we need our cocoa to give us a sustainable income. Two sacks of cocoa is not enough to send one child to school.”

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