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African
Farmers Go Global
Compiled by Isaac Amo-Kyereme.
The amazing story of how small-scale cocoa growers in Ghana got to own a chocolate company in the UK….
There is no dispute anywhere about the fact that africa is still struggling for survival after enduring the terrible years of slavery, colonialism, aparthied, military coups etc, Yes, just like in all countries and continents corrupt practices, mis-management, disease,famine and wars take place on the continent but the unfair world trading system also contributes a lot to the state of affairs in Africa.
Africa and most of the third world is struggling with the rich and developed countries for a fair trading system in other for it’s people to have a better standard of life. Millions of people are stuck in the trade trap. No matter how hard they work, they earn less every year. The situation is so dismal, half the world's population now lives
on less than US$2 a day - roughly the cost of a burger.And it is not because they are lazy. The system is just not fair.
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Some of the reasons for this can be traced to restrictions on exports from third world countries: Rich countries make it difficult for poor countries to export their products to them, by charging high tariffs and in other ways. On the other hand rich
countries are pressing developing countries to open their markets to competition. Big companies in developed and rich countries are making handsome
profits while developing countries' economies take a battering as prices for commodities fall. |
When for instance coffee prices fall on the world market the porr farmers get less for their sweat but do you ever see a fall in Coffee costs as say
Sainsbury's or Starbucks? The poor farmer is the only element in the chain that suffers.
It is against this bacbdrop of events that the efforts of one such company making a breakthrough should be echoed. Cocoa growers pooled resources to set up Kuapa
Kokoo, a farmers' co-operative in ghana to trade its own cocoa so it could get a better price on the market to help them improve their lives.
Aftet a couple of years the farmers decided in1997 to create a chocolate bar of their own.And with support from Twin Trading a dutch NGO, Comic Relief, the Body Shop and Christian Aid, they set up The Day Chocolate Company.
The company today has grown and has added to their production line very
many delicious products. These poor african farmers, the owners of this company taday have
seen a great improvement in their lives. Apart from the personal benefit
the farmers enjoy by joining the fairtrade movement, the entire
community out of which the products such in this case Cocoa comes from
gets paid about £100 as a social premuim that goes to the community to
invest in community projects like water wells, education and health projects.
The Day Chocolate Company overall strategic aim is to improve the livelihood of smallholder cocoa producers in West Africa by establishing their own dynamic branded position in the UK chocolate market thus putting them higher up the value chain. It hopes to be the leading Fairtrade Chocolate Company.
To achieve this mission a range of clear intermediate objectives have been set-out. These include:
*To take a quality and affordable range of Fairtrade chocolate into the UK mainstream market.
*To pay a Fairtrade price for all the cocoa used in the chocolate sold.
*To raise awareness of fair trade issues among
UK retailers and consumers of all age groups.
*To be highly visible and vocal in the chocolate sector and thereby act as a catalyst for change.
The Day Chocolate Company is a private company limited by shares. Its 99 ordinary shares are owned by three parties; 52% is owned by the Fairtrade NGO Twin Trading, 33% is owned by Kuapa Kokoo farmers co-operative and 14% is owned by the international retailer The Body Shop International. In addition the international
NGO Christian Aid also own preference shares and the leading UK charity Comic Relief enthusiastically support the company and are also partners in the Dubble Fairtrade chocolate bar.
The fact that the farmers own a significant share of the company is a pioneering model in the fair trade world, Kuapa Kokoo has a meaningful input
into how Divine is produced and sold, and shares in the profits.
Pa Pa Paa - The Best of the Best Kuapa's motto is "pa pa paa" which means "best
of the best" in their local language. You get the best of the best chocolate and the cocoa farmers get a fair and secure price for their crop.
To drum home the need for the U.K. market to support the efforts of cocoa farmers in Ghana two cocoa farmers Comfort Kwaasibea and Comfort Asare-Kwabi are visiting the Unoted Kingdom to represent their cooperative Kuapa Kokoo, and also tell their own stories and encourage everyone they meet to choose Fairtrade - including
Gordon Brown! Now when it's time for a you to get delicious Chocolate bar or drink - why not make it Divine! The chocolate that has a heart. For more on this company check their website:
www.divinechocolate.com
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