Responsibility
A part of the Cocoa Horizons Foundation
At Simply®, we always emphasize that we are a Danish company, but having said that, we will never be able to grow cocoa beans here in the northern hemisphere. Therefore, the cocoa beans that become our chocolate are grown in Ivory Coast in West Africa. And we believe that there is a certain responsibility that comes with producing in that part of the world.
Just as our local employees here in Copenhagen work under fair conditions, we want to ensure that the cocoa farmers, their families, and the local communities surrounding the cocoa farms thrive and have the opportunity to improve their lives. This is both part of the solution to secure future chocolate production and a natural approach for Simply®. We do not want to produce and sell chocolate with an aftertaste of underpayment and exploitation of nature.
That is why we are part of Cocoa Horizons, a non-profit organization that works to ensure that cocoa farmers, their families, and the local communities surrounding the cocoa farms live and work under decent conditions. This means that our chocolate bars may be a little more expensive than the rest of the selection on the shelf, but we truly believe responsible chocolate tastes better.
A greenhouse cultivating a new future
In Africa, it is primarily men who cultivate the cocoa beans. If the village relies solely on cocoa production, it makes the families very vulnerable. We want to change that. In collaboration with Cocoa Horizons, we have launched an experimental greenhouse project where local women grow fruits and vegetables, thereby providing families with an additional source of income. Inside the greenhouse, red tomatoes and dark purple eggplants grow, but also a new future. In addition to securing a more stable income for the women, the crops are served as lunch at the local school, so the children get a good meal and more energy for their education. The greenhouse project is one of the many ways Simply® – and you – give back to the cocoa farmers and their families.
A new role for women
The greenhouse project is run by local women, all of whom have been trained to optimize production. They have gained knowledge about cultivation and plant maintenance, seasonal plants, bookkeeping, trade, and developing new markets. In this way, the project also ensures new independence for the women and creates a more meaningful role in the villages – an important step towards a better future for African nations.
Dual purpose of the production
The project is relatively new, but the plants in the greenhouse are already sprouting. However, the idea is not for the village families to eat all the vegetables. The production serves two purposes: First, it should provide the local women with an additional source of income besides the cocoa beans, and second, it should ensure better nutrition in the local school.
Sustainable farming through education
This is why we have become part of Cocoa Horizons, which was started by the Belgian chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut. Cocoa Horizons works to improve the living conditions of cocoa farmers and local communities. They do this through various strategies: partly by introducing sustainable and innovative farming methods, partly by increasing productivity, and partly through the development of local communities.
Specifically, Cocoa Horizons trains farmers in ways to improve their work, for example through new materials, new techniques, and innovative financing solutions. To reduce CO2 emissions, farmers are taught to prune cocoa trees instead of burning them, they work with denser planting, and plant different types of trees in the fields.
Chocolate for school and health
At the same time, Cocoa Horizons works closely with farming communities to make it easier for children and young people to get an education, support efforts to protect children, and provide women with better opportunities to develop, while ensuring access to clean water and basic health services. For example, today 49% of all children between 5 and 17 years old in the local communities are enrolled in school, and we are working to increase that number. Why? Because education is at the heart of many solutions to secure 'our' cocoa families a fantastic future – and fantastic chocolate for you.
