Since 2015, Twin has been working in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to assist cocoa farmers in Sierra Leone.
Working with farmer communities bordering the Gola Rainforest National Park in eastern Sierra Leone, the project aims to establish a new Producer Organisation called Goleagorbu and commercialize cocoa production as a way of preserving the rainforest.
The project is highly compatible with our mission and vision and offers strong potential as a new source of cocoa for blending into our existing product range. Divine has committed funds in order to leverage additional finance for this new supply chain. The work will focus on supporting the Producer Organisation to obtain both Fairtrade and organic certification.
In addition to the two income streams farmers receive that are connected to Fairtrade (minimum price & a premium) and the dividends Kuapa Kokoo receives from co-ownership, 2% of Divine’s annual turnover is invested in a Producer Support and Development fund (PS&D). This directly funds specific Kuapa projects, with a proportion also going towards projects with farmers in other areas of Africa. These initiatives are aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and include projects such as delivering training, helping with governance, and promoting gender equality and land rights.
The PS&D programme is delivered in association with Divine’s partner Twin and Twin Trading Ltd., a major shareholder and founder of Divine Chocolate Ltd. Twin is a pioneer and leader of the fair trade movement, working to build better lives for the poorest and most marginalised in the trading chain.
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