Press Release: Divine Chocolate is Awarded B Corp Certification

16th January, 2017, LONDON / WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Leading social enterprise company Divine Chocolate has been awarded the prestigious designation of Certified B Corp – certifying that the company meets a range of social and environmental business standards, as well as accountability and transparency, with a commitment to ongoing development and improvement in all these aspects of its business.

Divine Chocolate has long been leading the way in the industry as a Fairtrade social enterprise by ensuring all of its products are certified with the FAIRTRADE Mark. This has meant extending beyond Fairtrade cocoa to include the sourcing of as many Fairtrade ingredients as possible, such as sugar and vanilla, enabling farmers worldwide the opportunity to reap the benefits of the company’s success. The company has been the recipient of numerous business awards for its development of a unique farmer-owned business model as well as taste awards for the exceptional flavour of its premium chocolate, proving that companies can both be driven by a social mission and succeed, in even the most competitive sectors.

“We remain 100% committed to Fairtrade and the social enterprise movement,” notes Sophi Tranchell, CEO of Divine Chocolate. “We see B Corp certification as a demonstration that these values run throughout our business, and we believe that it is part of our leadership role to embrace systems that drive businesses to behave better and empower consumers to make informed choices.”

B Corp was established in the USA in 2006. It has become the leading global movement aiming to redefine business success and maximise the power of people using business as a force for good,™ engaging people and companies via the #BtheChange campaign. Globally there are over 2,000 B Corps - with combined revenues of a mid-sized country (over £2.6bn/ $3.4bn).

As a Certified B Corp, Divine Chocolate joins a fast-growing global network of certified businesses that have made a commitment to managing, measuring and reporting their social and environmental impact while driving sound profitability. Certified B Corps work to be not only the best companies IN the world, but the best companies FOR the world. Their commitment is creating greater economic opportunity, strengthening local communities and respecting the needs of our natural environment.

“B Corp certification gives us a useful tool for continuing to improve the way we do business, and our impact on the world as employers, as customers, and as suppliers,” explains Tranchell. “At the same time, we will be assuring consumers, customers, and partners that they can feel as confident about the way we run our business as they do about the benefits our products deliver to the farmers around the globe.”

Divine Chocolate will champion Certified B Corps in the UK and in the USA, and the company looks forward to the mutually rewarding partnerships certification will bring. Divine Chocolate is also excited to join a network that collectively aims to push for fairer and more sustainable business policy and trade deals in the future.

For further information, please contact Becky Green becky@divinechocolate.com

EDITORS NOTES:

About B Corps

• Certified B Corporations are leaders of a global movement of people using business as a force for good. They meet high standards of overall social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability and aspire to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. There are more than 2,000 Certified B Corporations in over 130 industries and 50 countries with 1 unifying goal – to redefine success in business.

About B Lab

• B Lab is a nonprofit organization that serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good. Its vision is that one day all companies compete not only to be the best in the world, but the Best for the World® and as a result society will enjoy a more shared and durable prosperity. For more information, visit www.bcorporation.net, www.bimpactassessment.net, www.b-analytics.net and www.benefitcorp.net
• “B Corp provides what is lacking elsewhere: proof.” New York Times.

Other coverage of B Corps

• Fortune: http://fortune.com/2015/12/15/key-business-trends-2016/
• Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2016/06/why-companies-are-becoming-b-corporations
• www.fastcoexist.com/3062204/how-long-before-major-corporations-become-b-corps
• www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/10/03/it-is-time-we-enshrined-our-mission-led-values-in-law/

About Divine Chocolate

• Divine Chocolate is the only Fairtrade chocolate company that is also co-owned by cocoa farmers. Kuapa Kokoo, a co-operative of over 85,000 cocoa farmers in Ghana, benefit not only from the Fairtrade premium on the sale of their beans, but also receive the largest share (44%) of Divine’s distributable profits giving the farmers more economic stability, as well as the increased influence in the cocoa industry that companyownership brings.
• Divine is a mission-driven business. Its mission is “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.”
• Divine invests 2% of its gross revenue in Producer Support and Development projects co-managed by Twin and Kuapa Kokoo, and in collaboration with local government and NGOs. These are aimed particularly at empowerment of women, maintaining good governance, and testing different farming techniques – and include an adult literacy and numeracy programme, and a model farm project.
• Divine Chocolate is GMO and palm oil free, and has Kosher and Halal certified products in the range. The Fairtrade cocoa in Divine chocolate is fully traceable from bean to bar.
• Divine Chocolate awards include: Best Social Enterprise 2007, The Observer Ethical Business of the Year 2008, Social Enterprise of the Year 2014, The Guardian Sustainable Business Award for Social Impact Innovation 2015. Divine Chocolate CEO Sophi Tranchell was named Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year (London & South) 2010 and Schwab Social Innovator of the Year 2016.
• Divine is sold in UK, USA, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Czech Republic, South Korea, Japan and Australia.
• All Divine products carry the Fairtrade Mark. This is an independent guarantee certified by Fairtrade International that the ingredients are sourced under internationally agreed fair trade terms and conditions. These include a guaranteed, secure minimum price, an extra social premium payment for the farmers to invest in their own community programmes, long term trading contracts, decent health and safety conditions – all aimed at empowering farmers to make their own improvements to living standards and prospects for the future. For more about Fairtrade visit www.fairtrade.org.uk.