Project Hope and Fairness
Improving earning opportunities for cocoa farmers
Location: Cote d’Ivoire
Sponsor: Don Maruska
Project Hope and Fairness : Grantee in 2021 and 2022-23
Project Hope and Fairness was founded by Tom Neuhaus, a long-time chocolatier and trained food scientist who wanted to enhance the earnings opportunities for poor cocoa farmers. Since 2006, PHF has worked with cocoa farmers across West Africa to help them build their capabilities and assume a more productive role in the vertically integrated cocoa bean processing and chocolate-making industry.
PHF has adopted a multi-pronged approach to achieve its goals:
- Direct assistance through grants and in-kind contributions to promote the sustainability of the cocoa farmers.
- Educate chocolate consumers (especially Americans) about the realities of the world cocoa market and heighten sensitivity to the inequities suffered by African cocoa farmers.
- Build facilities to support chocolate making (Note: PHF also supports rice manufacturing).
These efforts increase production and reduce costs; importantly, the results generate improved profits that flow directly back to village cooperatives.
For more information, see: Project Hope and Fairness
GRANT SUMMARY AND PURPOSE
2021: $30,000 to purchase machinery to support two existing chocolate processing factories. For a cocoa bean processor in Depa, a pulverizer will make it possible to convert what is known as presscake into finished cocoa beverage mix for direct sale. A second piece of equipment, a tempering machine, will allow a factory in Pezoan to improve efficiency in its chocolate bar-making process.
2022-23: $30,000 will be used by PHF to create a business plan, document production processes, and set up a new chocolate production hub by purchasing and installing a roaster, cracker, winnower, and melangeur in an existing building in N’Douci. This establishes an integrated production chain from cocoa bean to retail-ready chocolate bars. In addition, a grant of $2,883 in unrestricted funding has been awarded to support this mission.
IMPACT
Improve the income potential for 650 cocoa farmers and their families. With this equipment in place, these farmers are no longer limited to selling their beans at poverty prices to large manufacturers. They have a bigger role in the cocoa value chain, including producing and directly selling chocolate bars.
