NEWS EXTRA
The communities behind the chocolate: How Cacao-Trace® is transforming the lives of cocoa farmers and their families
For consumers, and even the companies that serve them, the journey from cocoa bean to chocolate bar can feel a little mysterious. But that’s what Belcolade and Puratos set out to demystify with the foundation of the Cacao-Trace® program, which thrives on transparency.
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elcolade and Puratos’ latest annual report launches later this month, revealing some of the stories behind the scenes, fostering a deeper connection between consumers, chocolate producers, and the
communities that cultivate one of the world’s favorite indulgences. Take a trip around the world for a glimpse of how Cacao-Trace is making a lifechanging impact in key cocoa farming regions – from the Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) to Mexico, Vietnam and beyond.
Championing ‘Great Taste, Doing Good’ At the heart of the Cacao-Trace program is a commitment to high-quality chocolate, produced responsibly and compensated fairly. Rooted in the ethos of ‘Great Taste, Doing Good’, it sets out to reward farmers, their families, and communities for the value that they create. Through initiatives like the Quality Premium and the Chocolate Bonus, farmers are incentivized to produce high-quality beans while receiving financial support on top of their everyday income. The Chocolate Bonus, for instance, offers back 10 Eurocents for every kg of Cacao-Trace chocolate sold. For farmers, this can total between two and five months’ extra revenue on a yearly basis. But the benefits of Cacao- Trace extend beyond mere monetary gain, as it strives to enhance the long-term well-being of cocoa-growing communities through various community projects, ranging from educational to sustainable healthcare initiatives. In 2023 alone, Cacao-Trace made
8 Kennedy’s Confection April 2024
significant strides, reaching over 23,000 farmers and their families across eight countries – a testament to its growing and far-reaching impact on a global scale. With ambitious goals to support up to 50,000 farmers by 2030 and help every one of them achieve a living income, the program’s vision of sustainability and empowerment is well within reach.
Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) For almost ten years, the Cacao-Trace program has been making a big impact in Côte d›Ivoire – a nation nestled on the southern coast of West Africa. In 2023 alone, the program’s efforts reached nearly 13,000 cocoa farmers through a network of 17 cooperatives, investing over €1.4 million back
into the community, a figure that reached €2.4m collected for 23,247 farmers across the eight countries of the program. This support has facilitated multiple initiatives, including the provision of almost 9,750 school kits, the construction, renovation, and extension of five schools – resulting in the addition of 24 new classrooms – and the installation of 25 water towers powered by solar energy. The Chocolate Bonus has even assisted the launch of small businesses, like the snail farm in Akridou Ladé. Funding for this initiative was approved in 2023 and will give 82 women the opportunity to cultivate snails – a local delicacy – with little land and low maintenance, allowing the women to allocate time to other income-generating activities. Among the program’s standout Ivory
KennedysConfection.com
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