A Divine story: DFID's contribution to a Fairtrade success
Image courtesy of Fairtrade Foundation
Chocolate produced by a cocoa farmers’ co-operative in Ghana, west Africa,
has become a 
Fair
Trade success story – thanks in part to DFID’s support at a crucial
moment for the company in 1999.
The co-operative – called Kuapa Kokoo – grows the cocoa for the increasingly successful Divine brand of chocolate. Inspired by their success the co-operative’s motto is "pa pa paa" – which means “best of the best".
That doesn’t just apply to the chocolate that we buy – the fact that Divine is a fair trade product means that the farmers are paid a decent price for the cocoa they grow.
A very good place to start
DFID’s involvement with the Day Chocolate Company – which makes Divine
– began in 1992, when we began to give technical and financial support to
UK-based Twin Trading, to help set up the Kuapa
Kokoo co-operative.
Then in the late 1990s, Kuapa Kokoo – in partnership with Twin Trading, Comic Relief, Christian Aid and Body Shop – decided to launch their own brand of chocolate bar.
In 1999, DFID stepped in to guarantee the £400,000 loan, which set up
the embryonic Day Chocolate Company to market Ghanaian smallholder cocoa.
Shortly afterwards, the Divine
brand was launched.
- The
story of how small-scale cocoa growers in Ghana got to own a chocolate
company (Divine website)
- More
on Divine Chocolate and Kuapa Kokoo
- Who
is behind the Day Chocolate Company?
From farmers to shareholders
Image courtesy of Fairtrade Foundation
DFID’s guarantee contained an innovative provision, which enabled the farmers to own 33% of shares in the UK company. As a result they have a say in how Divine is produced and sold, and are entitled to a share of the profits.
Shareholding has also increased their self-esteem and given them a deeper understanding of the market for chocolate in developed countries. Kuapa Kokoo pays all its farmers a fair price for their crop, in cash, and on time.
Turnover is doubling and today, the 35,000-strong co-operative also acts as a lobby group for its members and helping to provide education and health facilities to its communities.
Oxfam:
Fair Trade in Action - Cocoa farmers in Ghana
Key facts
- 1-13 March 2005 is Fairtrade
Fortnight
- DFID's Development Awareness Fund is providing almost £100,000 (2004-2006) to the Fairtrade Foundation to enable communities to work towards Fairtrade Town or City status
- In 2002, DFID provided £300,000 to the Fair Trade Foundation on a project to extend the reach of Fairtrade labelling to new producers in developing countries - stay tuned for an announcement in late February 2005
- DFID has given grants totalling £830,000 from the Department for International Development, (£340,000 in partnership with the Capespan Foundation to support Thandi fruit, and £490,000 in partnership with Vinfruco). These have helped Thandi to export its produce to countries all over the world, including to supermarkets in the UK, such as the Cooperative chain
- The UK Government has committed more than £160m to help poorer countries
develop trade and take part in trade negotiations in its recent
trade and investment White Paper
