Honesty, fairness, and sustainability: learn more about our steps towards engaging in ethical chocolate production.

We strive to do the best we can by the people we work with and the planet. Living ethically is about more than just words, which is why we try to take as much action as we can through our Engaged Ethics programme. From fair pay to reducing carbon emissions, conscious choices inform each and every element of our Hotel Chocolat collection. We believe openness is vital, so why not learn more about our ethical partnerships?

Green Tropics NGO

Green Tropics is an NGO based in Ghana. Our collaboration with Green Tropics offers cacao farmers and the local community support to help them find work and stay safe. Cacao is a central part of Ghana’s economy. We source our cocoa from two regions in particular: Nkawkaw and Juaso.

Ghanaian chocolate is renowned for its distinctive yet mellow flavours, making this type of cacao a popular choice. Unfortunately, many of the cacao farmers in Ghana are not treated or paid fairly. This inequality is a cycle we believe needs to stop. That’s why, since 2002, we’ve signed up over 2,000 farmers to our Engaged Ethics programme.

The programme’s initiatives aim to help young farmers learn the skills they need to grow and harvest cacao so they can provide themselves and their families with a good standard of living.

Community projects are also a key aspect of the programme. Everyone deserves medical facilities and clean water, and we’re happy to have been able to help build a medical centre and fund boreholes for safe drinking.

KooKoo Kuapon Radio Show

‘Kookoo Kuapon’ means ‘Supremacy in Cacao Farming’ in Twi, the local dialect of Akan. Radio is a popular means for Ghanain cacao farmers to stay connected with the local community and farther afield.

Every fortnight, we sponsor two Kookoo Kuapon radio shows. The shows offer advice and farming expertise and raise awareness around cacao farming issues. They also provide a platform for farmers to engage with us.

Seedling nurseries

High-yielding cacao trees can be tough to find in Ghana. By transporting healthy seedlings from our own plantations, we’ve been able to donate over a million young cacao trees to farmers in the Nkawkaw and Juaso regions. Having a good starting point, alongside training and support, means those farmers and their plantations can flourish.

Skills scheme for young farmers

Cacao might be big business in Ghana, but it can be challenging for young farmers to get started. Not only do they need training and know-how, but they also need the correct equipment so they can farm safely and effectively.

Our Young Farmers Scheme aspires to provide young farmers with just that — from wellington boots and machetes to training in sustainable farming best practice.

The training also includes model farms around the Nkawkaw cacao district. The idea is to educate local farmers on environmental best practice as well as how to get the most out of their seedlings. Growing and harvesting can be a tough process. Giving new farmers the chance to explore techniques for planting, harvesting and drying the pods, as well as using fertilisers and keeping the trees healthy, can make a big difference.

Community projects: medical centre and clean water boreholes

We opened the Osuben Medical Centre in 2015. The 100% solar-powered clinic supports cacao farmers, their families, and the entire community. As well as offering treatments for everything from farming injuries to malaria, we also help farmers cover health insurance costs.

Sadly, water sources such as rivers are the only option for around 6 million people in Ghana. Many have to travel long distances to collect the water, and it’s a common source of waterborne diseases. There’s still a long way to go to ensure that every adult and child has access to fresh, clean water. But we’re happy to say that we’ve dug a total of eight boreholes so far and plan to dig more so we can provide as much safe hydration as possible.

Cocoa Horizons

Sustainability charter

Cocoa beans grown in different locations yield unique flavour properties. We love the delicious notes Ghanaian cacao brings, and we also know what it takes to get there. Planting and harvesting cacao involves a lot of work — work that should never be overlooked or underpaid. We engage in ethical partnerships with all our farmers, whether they’re in Saint Lucia, Ghana or further afield.

We only buy Ghanaian cacao from farmers who have agreed to a sustainability charter covering four crucial pillars:

• Know your farmer: we’re able to trace our chocolate back to the farm it was grown on.
• Prosperity: cacao farmers deserve recognition and fair pay. We’re committed to raising incomes and training cacao farmers in best practices to increase farm yield sustainably. Support includes offering farming advice on the KooKoo Kuapon Radio Show so that remote communities can access it.
• Community: we want to support local communities with healthcare and education, and to prevent child labour.
• Environment: we use GPS mapping to ensure no deforestation occurs and to facilitate tree-planting and crop diversification.

The ethical partnerships scheme is overseen by Cocoa Horizons. They can independently monitor and verify that all parties are adhering to the charter.

We pay a premium for cacao

Often, cacao farmers receive prices well below the Fair Trade standards, and there can be delays in payments. Our Ethics Policy ensures farmers receive fair pay and always have a guaranteed sale at harvest time.

We buy our cacao beans straight from the pod, so the farmers don’t have to dry or ferment them. Fermentation is a long process that requires constant attention and additional cost for the smallholder. Dried beans also weigh a lot less than fresh ‘wet’ ones, meaning the farmer would earn less for the same amount.

UK Plastics Pact

As well as committing to treating our team and farmers fairly through our ethical partnerships, we want to make sure we’re treading as lightly as possible on the planet. Packaging is a big part of this, and our vision is to have 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2022.

What is the Plastic Pact?

United by a vision of a circular economy for plastic, the Plastics Pact is a collaboration of businesses and the UK Government,

Companies who join the pact pledge to reduce their plastic consumption and ensure all plastic packaging is recycled, reusable or compostable by 2025.

Our packaging promises

In addition to joining the Plastic Pact, we’re continually taking steps towards more sustainable packaging. For example, we’ve stopped using polystyrene fillers for deliveries. Polystyrene is difficult to recycle and doesn’t compost. Instead, we’ve switched to 100% recyclable corrugated paper.

We’ve also made sure almost all our card and paper comes from sustainably managed forests. Why not find out more about our packaging promises?

Knowledge is power, which is why we joined the On-Pack Recycling labelling scheme so that, not only is our packaging as sustainable as possible, but consumers will have guidance on how to recycle it.

We believe honesty, openness, and transparency are critical in developing truly ethical partnerships, and we’re always striving to ensure our Hotel Chocolat products are as sustainable (and delicious) as possible.