Citation for Managing Director & Staff of Divine Chocolate Ltd

 

“Those who impact positively on the lives of others shall forever live in the memory of the heart.

 

Since 1998 when Divine was born, you have worked tirelessly to make the brand what it is today –

 

'A Heavenly Chocolate with a Heart'.

 

Through your efforts, mainstream chocolate giants are signing unto Fairtrade because they have realized it is “Pa pa paa”.

 

On the occasion if your 10th Anniversary, the entire membership of Kuapa Kokoo wishes to congratulate you for your good works and also for giving us a voice in the huge chocolate industry.

 

“Ye da mo ase”

 

Long live Kuapa Kokoo !!

Long Live Divine Chocolate !!

Congratulation

Yeda Mo Ase !!!

 

PCK Buah

President

Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union

 

 

 

"Divine Chocolate, with its innovative farmer-owned business model, has given us passionate and inspiring proof that it is possible to Make Trade Fair, and given thousands of chocolate lovers and people who want a better world the chance to make a difference. Oxfam salutes the first ten years of Divine and looks forward to seeing more businesses take their lead in the future."
 

Barbara Stocking, Director Oxfam UK

 

Inside Divine

The overall strategic aim of Divine Chocolate Ltd is to improve the livelihood of smallholder cocoa producers in West Africa by establishing their own dynamic branded proposition in the UK chocolate market, thus putting them higher up the value chain.

 


To achieve this mission a range of clear intermediate objectives are set out:

 

    * 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.

     *To be the leading Fairtrade chocolate company



Sophi Tranchell MBE,
MD of Divine Chocolate Limited

Divine Chocolate Limited is a private company limited by shares. From the outset its 99 ordinary shares were owned by three parties; 52% by the Fairtrade NGO Twin Trading, 33% owned by Kuapa Kokoo farmers co-operative and 14% owned by the international retailer Body Shop International. In July 2006 The Body Shop made the decision to donate its shares in Divine Chocolate to Kuapa Kokoo, and international development finance institution Oikocredit bought 12% of the shares, giving the cooperative a 45% stake in the business.  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 board of directors includes two people from Kuapa (Managing Director of KK Ltd and the Farmers Union President), two people from Twin and one person each from Oikocredit,  Christian Aid and Comic Relief. This governance structure is unique in both the UK Fairtrade and confectionery markets and in 1999 was awarded "Millennium Product " award status from the Design Council for its innovative organisational model.

Sandy Balfour - Chair
PCK Buah (Kuapa Kokoo)
Kwasi Aduse-Poku (Kuapa Kokoo)
Ian Barney (Twin)
Carol Wills (Twin)
Paul Langley (Christian Aid)
Michelle Settle (Comic Relief)
Kees van den Burg (Oikocredit)
Gordon Roddick
Patrick Fleming
Pauline Tiffen
Sophi Tranchell (Managing Director)

The Divine Chocolate Ltd Board meets four times a year and one of those meetings is held in Ghana.

 


Mr Aduse-Poku, MD of Kuapa Kokoo Ltd with Sophi Tranchell, MD of Divine Chocolate Ltd.  

          

Our retail partners
Divine Chocolate Limited has formed special working relationships with the Co-op supermarket chain, and with Starbucks in the UK.  Divine Chocolate supplies all the chocolate for Co-op's own-label range of chocolate, and the amount they buy increased in 2003 when the chain committed to switching all it's own-label chocolate to Fairtrade.  Our partners at the Co-op have visited Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana, and they, like us, appreciate working with other co-operative groups.  Divine Chocolate also supplies Fairtrade chocolate to Starbucks for their three own-label chocolate bars, available in all outlets throughout the UK.