Divine Chocolate tour in Ireland continues

Mayor of Skibbereen and Divine Chocolate unveil the towns Fairtrade status

Divine Chocolate's touring farmer's visited Skibbereen, a small town south west of Cork to announce the town's Fairtrade status with the Mayor of Skibbereen. An ex Nigerian cocoa farmer who now live's in Skibbereen met the farmers and shared experiences. Congratulations to Skibbereen on achieving Fairtrade status!

A long day ended with a trip to Bantry - an idyllic village on the southern coast of Ireland. The wind was beginning to blow but the warmth and enthusiasm of our welcome was very touching.
After having been formally welcomed by Mayor Mary Haggerty and signed the visitors book in the Town Hall our party crossed the road to a fairtrade event at the Christian Fellowship Church. The local Fairtrade Steering Group had organised a limerick competion, the first line being 'There once was a producer from Ghana'. Over 200 entries were recieved and the farmers were delighted to hear the limericks and hand over Divine Chocolate hampers to the two winners.

Winner of the Bantry Limericks competition

Under 12 Winning Limerick
There was a producer from Ghana
Who liked to produce a banana
Be just and be nice
and pay a fair price
To himself and his wife Susannah

Under 18 entry Winning Limerick
There once was a producer from Ghana
Who worked in a field with a lama
He grew chocolate from seeds
For fairtrade societies
To be sold to your lovely old nana

Divine Chocolate at Cork Music School

Paul and Kojo with the Mayor of Cork and guests

Fairtrade activists, local retailers, Oxfam, Trocaire and the Mayor of Cork welcomed Divine Chocolate and Kuapa Kokoo to the Cork School of Music. Divine gave presentations to the audience followed by Peter Gaynor, Director of Fairtrade Ireland. They then enjoyed a variety of Irish music played by the school.

Divine Chocolate Meeting the President

Kojo and Paul presenting the President McAleese with traditional

Ghanaian Kente cloth and Divine Chocolates as Peter Gaynor from Fairtrade Mark Ireland looks on.

A trip to Áras an Uachtaráin (The Irish Presidential Palace) in Dublin, was a real treat for the Fairtrade farmers and their Divine Chocolate colleagues alike as they attended a reception hosted by the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese.

This celebration of Fairtrade within Ireland was attended by Kojo and Paul from Kuapa Kokoo as well as Fairtrade business representatives and local Fairtrade activists from throughout Ireland.

After welcoming the guests the President clearly laid out her own personal support of Fairtrade and commented that she was confident that Fairtrade would become increasingly available throughout Ireland, as the Irish people stand for econmic justice and in solidarity with those less fortunate than themselves.

Whilst meeting a country's leader is a new honour for most, Kojo later informed us that he also met both Tony Blair (Prime Minister of Britain), and John Kuffor (President of Ghana) when they visited Kuapa Kokoo, Ghana in 2002.

Divine Chocolate in Ballymun

Divine Chocolate were welcomed by Global Action Plan and the Ballymun Fairtrade Steering Committee at their ‘Wake Up and Smell the Coffee’ event in Ballymun, near Dublin.
The evening was celebrated with a 100 guest's from the local community who enjoyed the chocolate fountain oozing with Divine Chocolate as well as other Fairtrade sample's and goodies. Paul and Kojo were the guest speaker's and were followed by a screening of the highly acclaimed documentary Black Gold.

Belfast Mayor gets to try Divine Fairtrade Chocolate

Paul and Kojo presenting the Mayor of Belfast with a Divine Chocolate hamper

Paul and Kojo met the current Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Jim Rodgers (Ulster Unionist Party - UUP) who explained that the Titanic sailed from Belfast in perfect condition. The Mayor proudly told the farmers of the city's ongoing commitment with supporting Fairtrade.

Belfast Fairtrade Awards

Stormont

David Greenwood-Haigh from Divine Chocolate attended the Belfast Fairtrade Award's organised by the Belfast City Council at Stormont to recognise shop's, restaurant's and cafe's who had actively promoted and sold Fairtrade product's over the last year.
There were 7 categories to vote in:

1. Best independent retailer
2. Best supermarket
3. Best café
4. Best employer
5. Best bar or restaurant
6. Best school
7. Outstanding contribution to Fairtrade

We were delighted to see Oxfam, one of our Divine Chocolate's top customer's, win 3 awards and Co-op winning an award for best supermarket.

From primary to tertiary - Fairtrade rules

Paul shows Year 6 children what a cocoa pod looks like

In Aberystwyth, North Wales Divine Chocolate had been invited to attend a Fairtrade conference for local schools organised by Diane Isenberg. This was a fantastic event - attended in the morning by classes and Fairtrade Groups from a large number of primary schools - hosted by Penglais Secondary School. There were Fairtrade stands, and displays and presentations from schoolchildren demonstrating the innovative ways in which they had promoted Fairtrade in their schools and communities. Kojo and Paul captured their attention with the story of life on a cocoa farm and were then able to meet all the children in smaller groups to answer questions and show them cocoa pods and beans up close. One child, whose father is a farmer, offered to trade two sacks of cocoa for two cows - and Kojo seemed to be quite tempted. We weren't sure they would get through Heathrow on the journey back though.

In the afternoon it was the turn of the Year 8 classes at Penglais. Fairtrade posters were all over the school and a Fairtrade mural had been painted on the wall by students in one of the canteens. It was amazing to see the zeal with which young Welsh people were getting behind Fairtrade. Dubble and Divine sampling was an added bonus at the end of the event!

Wales Fairtrade Forum leader Mark Richardson then piled us into his car and we headed north again - to Bangor. There we were on the programme of a Fairtrade evening event at Bangor University. Andrew Wilson heads up the Fairtrade team at the University and had achieved amazing things since the group got together in January this year. 120 students, residents and local officials turned up which I attribute to Andrew's brilliant marketing - but he put it down to the lure of chocolate! Always a winner. There was no doubt that the audience was interested, and engaged, asking questions about supply chains and farming technology and coming up to talk at length after the event. A high point of the evening was when Kojo and Paul presented the Mayor with his certificate announcing that Bangor had achieved Fairtrade Town status.

ITV Wales has been broadcasting reports all through Fairtrade Fortnight from Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana - featuring Paul Ayepah, the farmer on tour with Divine Chocolate.

See the films here:

Introducing Fairtrade

Empowering women

Growing cocoa

Linking schools in Ghana and Wales

Divine Chocolate in Eden

Caitlin Guest, winner of the Divine Chocolate Poetry Competition read her poem at Eden

Paul and Kojo in the biomes at the Eden Project

Photos accredited to the Eden Project

Another early start, another hearty fry-up (with extra mushrooms and bacon) and we were back on the train, headed to St Austell in Cornwall. We were greeted at the station by the multi-coloured Monroe Shephard from the Eden Project. He took us to meet the St Austell Fairtrade steering committee and local council members before leading us around a number of shops taking part in St Austell’s ‘Fairtrade trail’. Kojo and Paul were delighted to see shops stocking the Divine Easter Eggs and one bookseller kindly gave Paul a bible.

After lunch we were taken to the steamy wonderland of Eden Project’s tropical Biome. Kojo and Paul were astonished to be introduced to Hetty – Eden’s very own cocoa farmer! – before being introduced to Eden’s very own cocoa trees! The winner of the Divine Poetry competition (12-16years age group), Caitlin Guest, had made a special trip to Eden to meet the farmers. We were privileged enough to hear a live reading of her winning poem ‘Not Just Cocoa’.

School groups were treated to first hand stories of cocoa farming in Ghana and Paul gave a live demonstration of splitting open a cocoa pod with a machete! Visitors were given the rare opportunity to sample the fruity pulp of the cocoa seed in the Biome and the chance to sample delicious Divine Chocolate up in Eden’s shop. Having seen the biome Kojo said “I can’t believe that all the plants we were telling you about are here. We’ll have to watch out ... soon Eden will be growing cocoa for the UK’s chocolate!”.

ASDA support Fairtrade and Divine Chocolate

ASDA head office staff in Leeds had a chocolaty treat when they got to sample Divine Chocolate and Fairtrade fruit with the Divine Chocolate fountain on Thursday. It was a real hit with everyone!
Also on site sampling of Fairtrade coffee, fruit, chesses and wine the Fairtrade Foundation Bus was on site before moving on into the Leeds city centre

Divine Chocolate sampling in Sunderland

Sunderland University celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight with hot chocolate, a chocolate fountain with Fairtrade bananas and Divine Chocolate samples. Divine Chocolate's Sales and Marketing Manager, Alistair Menzies, gave a talk to the business school students showing how Fairtrade businesses can benefit everyone including the producers throughout the supply chain. Sunderland University have been great supporters of Fairtrade for many years and have Fairtrade University status.

6 Mayors and a President

Now Fairtrade Fortnight is over, we look back at the Mayor's and the President Divine Chocolate and the Kuapa Kokoo farmer's met along the way!

Divine Chocolate and Kuapa farmers in the City

Kojo and Paul were out and about in London's financial district on Monday. In the morning, they spoke at a well attended Business Breakfast at Guildhall, the old 15th century seat of government for the City of London.

At the event there was also a speaker from the Fairtrade Foundation, and someone from BT, who spoke about how they implemented Fairtrade purchasing across the company. Kojo and Paul spoke about the benefits of Fairtrade to cocoa farmers in Ghana, and about how Divine's unique farmer-owned model meant that they themselves received a share of the profits from Divine's first dividend last year.

Off to nearby St Mary le Bow Church on Cheapside for a lunchtime debate, organised by Trading Visions and Justshare. The farmers spoke alongside speakers from Divine, Tropical Wholefoods and Fairtrade Foundation, along with an academic and a sceptical business consultant. It was a lively debate with good audience participation, with wine and chocolate afterwards.

Paul and Kojo had time to visit St Paul's while they were in the City, climbing the great dome of one of the largest cathedrals in the world. They thought it was an amazing building and really enjoyed the bright February sunshine views across London, though they also found the wind rather cold!

Valentines Day

While you wait for Fairtrade Fortnight, celebrate Valentines by sending your loved one a free bar of Divine Chocolate http://www.divinechocolate.com/home/default.aspx

Fairtrade Fairground

For the first time ever the Fairtrade Foundation will be holding a large public launch event to mark the beginning of Fairtrade Fortnight!

Come and enjoy a Fairtrade Fairground on London's South Bank on Sunday the 24th February.
With a traditional helter skelter and tea cup rides, you can also try your hand at the Fairtrade coconut shy and decorate Fairtrade certified cotton T-shirts or get your fortune read in Fairtrade tea leaves.

Divine Chocolate and Dubble will be there with samples and tasters and a Henna tattooist who will be giving free Adinkra symbol tattoos to all the stall visitors. Two cocoa farmers from Ghana will also be there to meet you and share their experiences of how Fairtrade has improved their lives.

Hope to see you there!

Date: Sunday 24th of February
Time: 11am - 4pm
Location: Coin Street on the South Bank
Getting there: the closest Underground Station is Waterloo

Fairtrade Fortnight Tour

image by kim naylor

Welcome to the Divine Chocolate Fairtrade Fortnight blog.

Divine Chocolate is inviting two cocoa farmers from Ghana to join them here for Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 (25th February – 9th March). Throughout the tour Divine Chocolate and the two farmers will be regulary updating this blog with stories of their journey. This year Divine Chocolate’s tour will include visits to Ireland and Wales, as well as several events in England.

Throughout the two weeks Divine Chocolate and the two Kuapa farmers will be attending a variety of Fairtrade-inspired events and talking to schoolchildren, shoppers and retailers, church groups and local businesses, government officials and Fairtrade steering committees. They will be telling their stories of how Fairtrade, and owning a chocolate company, has changed their lives – and in turn discovering how much we love chocolate here in the UK – and why ‘chocolate makes the world go round’!

The current schedule includes England events in London, Exeter and the Eden Project in Cornwall. In Wales the tour includes Bangor, Powys, Cardiff and Aberystwyth. Then on to Ireland where visits to Dublin, Cork and Belfast are planned.

Divine Chocolate has toured every year for the past six years with cocoa farmers during Fairtrade Fortnight, and 2008 will be the first time the farmers who come will be men! Their roles as Recorders are key to the structure and organisation of Kuapa Kokoo – they are elected as trusted fellow-farmers to weigh the cocoa accurately and pay farmers the right price accordingly. Each year thousands of people in the UK have had the chance to hear farmers speak and hear firsthand the impact of Fairtrade, and hundreds of them have had the chance to speak to the farmers in person. This direct connection with the farmers behind the food we love is key to the appeal of Fairtrade.

Divine Chocolate

Divine Chocolate announced its dividend and Kuapa Kokoo, the largest share holder, shares in the companys profits

Divine Chocolate is the delicious Fairtrade chocolate that is co-owned by the Ghanaian cooperative of cocoa farmers, Kuapa Kokoo, which means 'the Good Cocoa Farmer' in the local Twi language.

All Divine products carry the Fairtrade Mark. This is an independent guarantee from the Fairtrade Foundation that the ingredients are sourced under internationally agreed fair trade terms and conditions. These include a guaranteed, secure price above the world market price for cocoa, an extra social premium payment, long term trading contracts, decent health and safety conditions and a commitment to support community programmes aimed at empowering farmers to increase their abilities to be self sufficient. Divine goes even one step further as the farmers co-ownership of the company means they have a direct influence over how Divine is run and receive a share of the profits from the chocolate.