OUR MISSION :
Sewing the seeds
At Good Cocoa Bean, we believe in doing good while doing business. As a social enterprise, we partner with BYF, a Ghanaian NGO, to combat child labour and improve education for children in Ghana. By working directly with farmers and implementing sustainable practices, we are able to provide high-quality cocoa while giving back to the community.
Our partnerships with Silver Stag, Stand International, and School Yard Kitchen further support our mission to make a positive impact in Ghana.
From our inception in Ghana, we were mindful not to adopt a beneficiary model resembling colonialism or charity. Our focus was on fostering partnerships to tackle challenges, prioritising relationship-building over program development. Emphasising trust-building, our journey has led to profound learning, making us a more mature, informed, and inclusive organisation.
AT THE VERY START
During our engagement, we were introduced to a school that, surprisingly, lacked an official name, rendering it without a distinct identity. As a consequence, the school did not enjoy official recognition from the Ghanaian education department, even though the department covered the expenses for the principal and three teachers.
Additionally, the school site faced challenges such as the absence of water access. The principal had to personally procure water daily from the nearby town, as the local elders refused permission to use the town well, objecting to the education of orphaned children, particularly girls.
While a quick solution would have been to provide temporary funds for immediate needs, such as a borehole and regular donations, this approach conflicted with our partnership model. In consultations with our Ghanaian counterparts, we opted for a more sustainable solution – the acquisition of 10 acres of land in proximity to the school. Our plan involved initiating rice cultivation at the school to not only provide sustenance for the children but also generate surplus rice for sale at the local market. This decision aligned with our commitment to fostering long-term, collaborative partnerships.
SCHOOL WITH NO NAME
As our relationships with various farming communities deepened, we gained insights into the pervasive issue of child labor in Ghana. The complexity of this problem became evident, with many farmers seemingly unaware of the detrimental impact it could have on both the child and the broader family.
In an effort to tackle this issue, and following extensive consultations, we collaborated on hosting two national conferences in Ghana. The aim was to delve into the problem and provide training that could be disseminated to local villages. These conferences, held in Accra and Tamale in the North of Ghana, attracted around three hundred participants. We supported the events by providing funding for travel and food at the conference venue.
While the conferences generated a groundswell of action, an unintended consequence emerged. Facilitators began identifying children entangled in the worst forms of child labor in villages, and these families lacked the financial means for redress. After thorough discussions with local partners, headteachers, and village chiefs, we decided to financially support 40-50 of these children to attend school. This initiative allowed their families to temporarily suspend their involvement in contributing to the household income, addressing both the immediate need and working towards a long-term solution.
WORK WITH FARMERS
Having established these networks and having considered how we could make meaningful impact, we felt there was a serious case of child labour in the cocoa trade, so we began to explore the best way to address this.
We had for some time been aware of the opaque world of the cocoa trade in Ghana and the smoke and mirror approach of companies who reported their efforts in the UK through chocolate score cards, company reports or annual action plans.
We began to use our networks in Ghana to make contact with those involved in the cocoa trade that we thought may share similar values to us and identified ABOCFA Co-operative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Society Limited. It is the only Organic Fairtrade Certified Cocoa Cooperative in Ghana and is a first grade organisation for cocoa beans.
In our first meeting we arrived three hours late due to the traffic in Accra however despite this we were warmly received and quickly identified that we shared similar values and approached. After much deliberation we decided that the best way to address child labour in the cocoa trade in Ghana was to become a wholesaler of cocoa beans and use our experience as an importer to bring those beans to the UK.