Divine Chocolates is an outstanding example of a Social Business.

 Due to an SAP (Structural Adjustment Program) of the cocoa market in Ghana, visionary and cocoa farmer Nana Frimpong saw the opportunity organise farmers and set up their own company to sell their own cocoa to the Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC) – the state owned company also the biggest cocoa exporter of Ghana. These farmers pooled resources to form a co-op called Kuapa Kokoo to trade its own cocoa, and effectively increasing the efficiency of the process. The farmers who set up Kuapa Kokoo were supported by Twin Trading, a fair trade organisation.

With the help of Twin Trading, Kuapa set up The Day Chocolate Company in 1998 along with support from The Body Shop, Christian Aid and Comic Relief.

The farmers' ownership stake in The Day Chocolate Company is  a first in the fair trade world. They have a meaningful say in how the product is produced, transported and sold. Two representatives of  the Kuapa Kokoo are on the board of Divine Chocolates, and one out of four annual board meetings is always held in Ghana. As share holders, farmers receive a share of the profit and have a meaningful input into decisions about how Divine is produced and sold. This innovative company structure was recognised when Divine was awarded Millennium Product status.

In 2006, The Body Shop donated its shares in the Company to Kuapa Kokoo , increasing the farmers’ stake in  Divine.  On 1st January 2007, Day Chocolate changed its name to Divine Chocolate Ltd.  On Valentine’s Day of the same year, Divine USA was launched. Sweet tidings indeed.

Sophi Tranchell is the first MD of Divine, and over the last six years she has used her expertise to establish Divine as a leading Fair Trade company.