To achieve this mission a range of clear intermediate objectives are set out:
Sophi Tranchell,
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)
Kwabena Ohemeng-Tinyase (Kuapa Kokoo)
Ian Barney (Twin)
Robert Hutchison (Twin)
Paul Langley (Christian Aid)
Amanda Horton-Mastin (Comic Relief)
Stefan Harpe (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 Ohemeng,
MD of Kuapa Kokoo Ltd
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.