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The Divine Story

This is the amazing story of a group of cocoa farmers in Ghana who voted to set up their own chocolate company and launched the first farmer-owned Fairtrade Chocolate product aimed at the mass market in the UK. Browse the timeline below to find out more.

1993

1997

1998

2002

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2013

2015

2016

2018

2019

1993

An Inspiring Start

In the early 1990s, structural changes in the cocoa market in Ghana prompted Nana Frimpong Abebrese to begin creating a farmer-owned company to help farmers sell their own cocoa. Nana was a visionary farmer representative and independent representative of COCOBOD (a Ghanaian government-controlled institution that fixes the buying price for cocoa in Ghana). With the support of Twin Trading, a fairtrade company aiming to support cocoa farmers, Nana and a group of other farmers found ways to ensure the net gains of the company would belong to farmers, farmers could be paid in cash, and fair trade premiums could be invested in social programs.

1993

Good Cocoa Farmer

To ensure more benefits for cocoa farmers, a new co-operative of cocoa farmers called Kuapa Kokoo is established on Fairtrade principles. The co-operative was named by Hannah, Nana Frimpong Abebrese’s wife. Kuapa Kokoo means ‘good cocoa farmer’ in the local language of Twi. The co-op’s mission has the social and economic welfare of its farmer members at its core, and aims to empower farmers to achieve their goals through dignified trading relations. With support from NGOs like Twin Trading and SNV, Kuapa Kokoo began with a membership of 2,000 farmers from 22 villages across Ghana. They soon were certified to sell Fairtrade cocoa, which would provide a social premium that they could use to invest in their farms and communities.

1997

Pa Pa Paa!

In their democratic system, farmers vote at their annual general meeting to begin a chocolate company of their own. Instead of aiming for the niche market, the co-op decides to produce a mainstream chocolate bar to compete with other brands. Kuapa Kokoo’s motto is “pa pa paa,” which means “the best of the best” in Twi.

1998

A Brand New Day

Kuapa Kokoo launched The Day Chocolate Company in the UK with help from Twin Trading. It is named in memory of Richard Day, a key member of the team at Twin which helped Kuapa Kokoo develop its organization. The Day Company received enthusiastic support from The Body Shop, Comic Relief, and The Department for International Development in the UK. Initially, Kuapa Kokoo owned 33% of the shares of the company.

1998

Launch Day

The Day Chocolate Company launches its first chocolate bar. The name of the bar is “Divine Fairtrade Milk Chocolate.” Several months later, the bar is found on supermarket shelves across the UK.

2002

Broadcasting to the Nation

Two women farmers from Kuapa Kokoo are invited to appear on TV in the UK and share about their lives, the difference Fairtrade makes, and to promote their own chocolate. Since then, Kuapa farmers have come to the UK each year for Fairtrade Fortnight and to the United States to share with people of all ages how our partnership has positively influenced their business success.

2006

A Divine Donation

One of the original Day Chocolate founders, The Body Shop, donates its shares in the company to the members of Kuapa Kokoo after being bought by L’Oreal. This donation gives the farmers' co-operative an even bigger stake - 45% of the company.

2007

Divine Chocolate is Born

Day Chocolate changes its name to Divine Chocolate Ltd to more closely align the company with the flagship brand. The brand then undergoes a major redesign. Divine also gains a new partner, a developmental finance organization called Oikocredit.

2007

A Historic Moment

In 2006, Divine Chocolate turns a profit for the first time. As a result, Sandy Balfour, the then Chairman of Divine, was able to hand over the first dividend check to Kuapa Kokoo at its Annual General Meeting in 2007. It was an inspiring moment in chocolate history and a big step towards achieving Divine’s mission to give cocoa farmers a voice in the global marketplace!

2008

A White House Visit

Divine Chocolate launches in the United States on February 14th, 2008. This was made possible due to the backing of the newest partner, Oikocredit. Kuapa Kokoo farmer Comfort Kumeah made this exciting announcement on Valentine’s Day at a White House briefing on Capitol Hill. It served as the perfect moment to introduce chocolate lovers in the United States to delicious chocolate with a mission for good. Comfort commented, “what an extraordinary example for other cocoa farming women."

2009

Catalyst for Change

Divine succeeds in its ambition to be the catalyst for change in the chocolate industry by growing a market for Fairtrade chocolate. The socially and economically sustainable business model supports the needs of farmers first, which provides opportunities for growth and success in farming communities. Divine’s supply chain has the capacity to support the mainstream brand and compete in the marketplace, and it is the only chocolate company in the world that is using Fairtrade as a vessel towards positive change.

2010

Empowering Women

Kuapa Kokoo elects its first woman president in 2010. This is a great testament to all the work Divine and Kuapa Kokoo have done together to ensure women farmers are empowered and have a greater say in their co-op and communities.

2013

We Say No To Palm Oil

Divine brings out the first caramel-filled chocolate bar with no palm oil - and delicious it is too. It was the starting point of Divine’s decision to stop using palm oil in any of its products - better for the forest, better for wildlife and better for you!

2015

Joining Together

After several years operating in two markets, the US and UK merge together to form a more cohesive global chocolate brand.

2016

Divine Becomes a B Corp

Divine is audited and certified as a B Corporation, joining the growing movement of companies worldwide who are committed to using business as a force for good. Since 2016, Divine has been recognized in the US as an honorary in the Best for the Community section.

2018

A Swedish Move

Divine Chocolate acquires Swedish Fairtrade company House of Fairtrade. House of Fairtrade sells a range of Fairtrade handicrafts supporting artisan producers across the world and has distributed Divine chocolate in Sweden for the last 15 years. The move enables both companies to continue supporting Fairtrade producers and World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) artisan members around the world.

2019

Divine Organic

Divine Chocolate launches the new Organic Line with cocoa sourced from Tropical São Tomé. This line of 85% dark chocolate features four bars, each containing delicious ingredients from refreshing lemon to tangy ginger and turmeric. São Tomé is a small island off the west coast of Africa, and Divine is excited to be working with CECAQ-11 co-operative, which is made up of 1135 members across 20 village associations. Once the world's biggest exporter of cocoa, São Tomé is fondly known as the ‘Chocolate Island’.

2019

Celebrating 20 Years

Divine Chocolate celebrates 20 years of giving cocoa farmers a voice in the global marketplace!

"We use the amazing power of chocolate to delight and engage. We bring people together to create dignified trading relations, empowering both producers and consumers".

— DIVINE DIFFERENCE

Doing Business
Differently

Divine Chocolate is a global, farmer-owned chocolate company. We use the amazing power of chocolate to delight and engage. We bring people together to create dignified trading relations, empowering both producers and consumers.

It is Divine’s founding purpose to help farmers gain a share of the wealth they are helping to create, putting them higher up the value chain. In doing so, this creates a supply chain that shares value more equitably and serves as an example of a viable model for how to secure the sustainable future of cocoa and cocoa farming.

WHAT IS THE DIVINE DIFFERENCE?

Empowering
women farmers

For more than two decades, Divine Chocolate and our farmer co-op partners have shared a commitment to gender equality.

SEE OUR IMPACT

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The Divine Story

An Inspiring Start

Good Cocoa Farmer

Pa Pa Paa!

A Brand New Day

Launch Day

Broadcasting to the Nation

A Divine Donation

Divine Chocolate is Born

A Historic Moment

A White House Visit

Catalyst for Change

Empowering Women

We Say No To Palm Oil

Joining Together

Divine Becomes a B Corp

A Swedish Move

Divine Organic

Celebrating 20 Years

— DIVINE DIFFERENCE

Doing BusinessDifferently

Empowering women farmers

Doing Business
Differently

Empowering
women farmers