Kuapa Kokoo facts for kids

Kuapa Kokoo is a special group of cocoa farmers in Ghana. They are known for growing cocoa beans that are used to make chocolate. This organization is Fairtrade-certified, which means they follow rules that help farmers get a fair price for their crops.

Kuapa Kokoo was started in 1993 by cocoa farmers in Ghana. They got help from groups like Twin Trading, Christian Aid, and The Body Shop. Today, over 100,000 farmers are members of Kuapa Kokoo.

What is Fairtrade?

Fairtrade is a way of trading that makes sure farmers and workers get a good deal. It helps them earn enough money to live and invest in their communities. When something is Fairtrade-certified, it means it meets certain standards for fair prices, good working conditions, and environmental care.

How Fairtrade Helps Farmers

When Kuapa Kokoo sells its cocoa beans, they get a special extra payment called a "Fairtrade premium." This money is not just for the farmers themselves. The farmers decide together how to use this premium to help their whole community.

• They use the money to build schools, so children can get a good education.
• They dig wells to provide clean drinking water for everyone.
• They also set up mobile clinics, which are like small hospitals on wheels, to bring healthcare to people in remote areas.

Partnership with Divine Chocolate

In 1997, Kuapa Kokoo worked with Twin Trading to create a chocolate company in the UK called The Day Chocolate Company. This company is now known as Divine Chocolate.

Divine Chocolate mainly uses cocoa beans from Kuapa Kokoo farmers. What's really cool is that Kuapa Kokoo actually owns 20% of Divine Chocolate. This means the farmers have a say in how the chocolate company is run and share in its success. It's a great example of farmers having more control over their products.