“Owned by Cocoa Farmers. Made for Chocolate Lovers.”
Did you know that 14% of the world’s chocolate is made in Ghana? Did you also know that 90% of the world’s cocoa is grown on small family farms of twelve acres or less? Last week, I had the pleasure of hearing two people from Divine Chocolates speak about their fair trade chocolate business at the Global Social Enterprise Alliance Conference. I found what I learned to be a fascinating example of how we need both social entrepreneurs and social intrapreneurs in the business world.
Divine Chocolates is co-owned by Kuapa Kokoo, a smallholder cocoa farmers’ cooperative with 45,000 members in Ghana. They are a social enterprise, with an early mission of making fair trade chocolate mainstream across the globe. They launched in the UK, and have become a 12.4 million pound business.
In March 2009, Cadbury, the leading chocolate manufacture in the UK, announced they would convert 20% of their chocolate business to fair trade. Divine Chocolates was thrilled by this announcement and preceded to push Cadbury though a press release to convert all its chocolate sourcing to fair trade.
Divine Chocolates is now in the USA. What I ask of you is as follows. Chocolate lovers – make sure to buy fair trade chocolate – try a Divine Chocolate bar (Oprah Winfrey endorsed it!). Social Intrapreneurs at Chocolate Companies – start a conversation at your company and find a way to make fair trade a business opportunity for your company. Let’s make chocolate the example for the fair trade industry.
—chris.g
