I’ve got a sweet tooth like no other, especially for chocolate, and right now my favorite nighttime (actually, anytime) treat is dark chocolate from the aptly named Divine Chocolate company. I first discovered this brand at a specialty food shop in New York, but since moving to London, where it was first sold and is well-loved by the Brits, I’ve become a huge fan (find Divine near you). Just one bite can put a big, chocolaty smile on my face. Maybe that’s the endorphins talking, or perhaps it’s because with every bite, I know I’m supporting a group of Fair Trade cocoa farmers in Ghana.
Divine Chocolate was actually founded in Ghana in the ’90s by a farmer’s co-op called Kuapa Kokoo – meaning good cocoa growers. The farmers decided to come together and form the Kuapa Kokoo cop-op because they saw an opportunity to organize in an industry where their voices were not being heard. They established Kuapa Kokoo to empower farmers in their efforts to gain a dignified livelihood, to increase women’s participation in all of Kuapa’s activities, and to develop the environmentally friendly cultivation of cocoa. The co-op’s membership grew quickly, and through its commitment to the sale of chocolate to the Fair Trade market, it was able to return more and more benefits to its farmers. Today Divine Chocolate is a leading Fair Trade brand in the UK. You can read all about the wonderful Kuapa Kokoo co-op and how it grew into Divine Chocolate at the website DivineChocolateUSA.
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