Fairtrade Chocolate
DUBBLE AND DIVINE
When you buy Dubble and Divine, you know that the 45,000 cocoa farmers of the Kuapa Kokoo Co-operative in Ghana (West Africa) are guaranteed a fair and stable price The Fairtrade price is set by an independent body called the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation. It is set at about £56 per sack of cocoa ($1500 per tonne) and another £14 per sack extra social premium ($150 per tonne). for their crop.
Importantly, because Kuapa Kokoo is a co-operative of farmers, farmers can get a better price for their cocoa - read more about this in the Dubble Story section. This means that farming communities can cover their costs and plan for the future. Also, Kuapa Kokoo farmers are never cheatedCocoa farmers have sometimes been cheated when they sell their cocoa to non-Fairtrade buyers, who fix the weighing scales to show a lower reading than the actual weight of their cocoa beans. when their cocoa is weighed at the scales. The recorder for Kuapa Kokoo, who weighs the cocoa, can be trusted because s/he is elected by the Kuapa Kokoo farmers. Farmers can also check the weighing scales at anytime.
Fairtrade is a good thing for farmers like me. We earn more, but it also means we get help and advice with farming practices and learn new skills, becoming better farmers.
DUBBLY GOOD
Big chocolate companies try to maximise profit for their shareholdersShareholders are the owners of a business. They have a say in how a business is run, and earn money if the business makes profit., by keeping their production costs low. Because they buy literally mountains of cocoa beans, big chocolate companies have buying power There are a few big chocolate companies who buy most of the world’s cocoa. This means they can negotiate a lower price and they can also stockpile cocoa beans when the price of cocoa is low. and this means they can drive down the cost of buying the cocoa beans from the farmers. But Divine Chocolate Ltd who makes Dubble and Divine is different because it is the first farmer-owned chocolate company in the UK.Kuapa own 45% of the company shares and this means that farmers in Ghana have a say in how the chocolate is produced and sold in the UK and a share in the profits. Dubble and Divine choc will always have the interests of cocoa farmers at heart! Read more in the Dubble Story section.
- The People - in Ghana grow the cocoa beans for Dubble & Divine choc, check out the 'BEAN 2 BAR' section
- The Trees - produce cocoa pods with white gooey cocoa beans inside, check out the 'BEAN 2 BAR' section
- The Pods - are rugby ball shaped and are usually yellow when ripe, check out the 'BEAN 2 BAR' section
- The Beans - are scooped out of the pods, fermented and dried, check out the 'BEAN 2 BAR' section
- The Trade - farmers are guaranteed a fair price for our choc, check out the 'BEAN 2 BAR' section
- The Factory - turns cocoa beans into yummy Dubble and Divine choc, check out the 'BEAN 2 BAR' section
- The Shop - where you have the power to make a difference, check out the 'BEAN 2 BAR' section
- Choc 'n' Change - change the chocolate industry - check out the choc 'n' change section