1. The future of business is social
Sophi Tranchell MBE
Lewisham Chamber of Commerce, June 2017

2. Social Enterprise & B Company
Business with a social mission
The heart of what we do
It is gives us our reason to be
It makes us good at what we do
It gives us our competitive edge
It defines where the money goes
A growing community of companies that is committed to using business as
a force for good.

3. Divine Chocolate is a unique independent company
The only mainstream chocolate company in the world that is 100% Fairtrade and farmer-owned
Award-winning for great tasting chocolate and pioneering Fairtrade, social enterprise & sustainability
Everything we do is driven by our social mission: to empower producers & chocolate lovers
Mavis and Mercy of Kuapa Kokoo, a co-operative of over 80,000 cocoa farmers, who own 44% of Divine Chocolate
The awards along the bottom are what we’ve won in the last 3 years
Working with over 90,000 farmers to source fine quality Fairtrade ingredients

4. What makes Divine quite different is that it has an amazing story at its heart – the story of cocoa farmers who voted to start their own chocolate company
The amazing story of the cocoa farmers who voted to start their own chocolate company

5. Kuapa Kokoo the good cocoa farmer
A cooperative of Ghanaian Cocoa Farmers
Established in 1993 in response to liberalisation of the market
Set up on Fairtrade principles and democratically organised
Started with 2,000 members in 22 village societies
Now over 80,000 members in 1,257 village societies
In 1997 Kuapa Kokoo farmers vote to set up their own chocolate company
In 1998, Divine Chocolate launched – the first mainstream Fairtrade chocolate company
The story starts in Ghana in 1993 when the economy there was semi-liberalised and people could set up their own cocoa buying companies for the first time. A group of cocoa farmers got together and set up their own cocoa buying association – with the farmers’ welfare at its heart. It was called Kuapa Kokoo – or ‘good cocoa farmers’ in Twi.

6. Divine Mission
To grow a successful global farmer-owned chocolate company using the amazing power of chocolate to delight and engage, and bring people together to create dignified trading relations, thereby empowering producers and consumers

7. What does owning Divine mean for Kuapa Kokoo farmers?
4 income streams from Divine
2% of Divine turnover to Producer Support & Development
This more than doubles the impact of Fairtrade
Over £2m contributed to date
Guaranteed minimum Fairtrade price for their cocoa
$2000/tonne
Fairtrade social premium invested in their communities
$200/tonne
44% of Divine profits
Profit dividend since 2007
2 members on the board
Knowledge of the industry
Power, including financing
Within the chocolate industry, Divine has a very different and unique business model – which ensures money and decisions are in the hands of the many, not of the few…..

8. How farmers invest the Fairtrade premium
Fairtrade ensures a guaranteed minimum price – and in addition a social premium which the farmers themselves decide how to invest. Their priorities are community improving projects such as sinking drinking water bores holes

9. How farmers invest the Fairtrade premium
Building and refurbishing schools, and incentivising teachers – to ensure their children get the best educational start in life

10. How farmers invest the Fairtrade premium
Fairtrade also encourages equal opportunities for women – delivering training, materials and credit loans giving them a number of income-generating skills allowing them to contribute to the family income and bring in money in between harvests when there is no cocoa to sell. These include making soap (from the cocoa husks), making palm oil, designing batik and tie-dye fabrics
Women are also encouraged to take leading roles in their communities

11. Fairtrade and beyond
The only Fairtrade chocolate company owned by cocoa farmers
Fairtrade delivers reliable income and funds to invest in better living and working standards
Company ownership delivers profits, knowledge and power
So Divine was established as a Fairtrade company co-owned by a cooperative of farmers built on Fairtrade principles
The only Fairtrade chocolate company owned by cocoa farmers
For those farmers, Fairtrade delivers….
Over and above that, company ownership delivers….

12. What Divine delivers: PROFIT

13. What Divine delivers: KNOWLEDGE

14. What Divine delivers: POWER

15. Over £2m contributed to Producer Support & Development
Women’s literacy
New partnership with the Ghanaian government’s Non-formal Education Department
Pilot basic literacy and numeracy classes
Response to research findings that low levels of literacy and numeracy amongst Kuapa’s female membership
Aims to encourage women to take roles of responsibility
Radio programmes
Divine has now supported four series of eight one hour radio programmes.
‘Kuapa Mmere’ is literally ‘Kuapa Hour’ in the local language
Broadcast in Western North, Western South, Brong Ahafo and Eastern regions, reaching an estimated 45,000 members
A way of communicating and engaging with members who live in remote locations
Labour Rights Project
Developing a greater understanding of complexity of tenancy issue and willingness to monitor tenancy amongst members
Completed to date:
Extensive data on types of farm labour
Tenancy contract template developed & in use
Labour committees established in 23 villages
Member registration and database adapted

16. What’s next? We’re all part of something global
There are great opportunity for business, but needs to be approached responsibly
How is your business making money?
Who is getting the money?
How is your business creating a positive legacy?
We are all part of something global
Emerging markets – great opportunity – but needs to be approached responsibly.
In the food industry we all need to be conscious that now more people dangerously overweight (1.5bn) than dangerously underweight (925m)
You need to ask these fundamental questions….
How is your business making money?
Who is getting the money?
How is your business creating a positive legacy?

17. Make it happen!
Go forth and create the new businesses of the 21st century!
Take your values into work with you
It’s not that radical to propose socially-driven business (Cadbury’s started like that a century ago)
Imagine it – and make it happen! 17

18. Thank you!