Cadbury, the latest convert to fairtrade, announced on Monday its plans for disbursing the first installment of its social premium. The funds, £500,000 ($751,215), will be invested in projects determined by the farmer cooperatives that supply the cocoa. One of the beneficiaries, the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative, will use its share to improve health services for its members through the deployment of mobile clinics and farmer extension services.
Divine Chocolate, my favorite chocolate maker, has done it again. They have just ordered the first fairtrade cocoa to come from the West African Country of Sierra Leone. Eight years after the end of its brutal civil war, with its economy still recovering, the farmers belonging to Kpeya Agricultural Enterprise (KAE) will enjoy the benefits of fairtrade.
Kuapa Kokoo, Ghana
My favorite cocoa cooperative, the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union in Ghana, just held its 15th annual general meeting. The AGM is the highest decision making body of the cooperative and many policies for the next year are set during the proceedings.
Here’s a sweet little animation from my favorite chocolate maker.
Here’s a Reuters report on Kuapa Kokoo and the impact of the recent announcement by Cadbury to source fairtrade beans for its Dairy Milk Bar.
