Sustainability
House of Dorchester are partners with the Cocoa Horizons Foundation, a Not-for-Profit organisation supporting 100% Sustainably Sourced Cocoa.
Where do our Cocoa Beans come from?
House of Dorchester partners with Cocoa Horizons, a Not-For-Profit organisation, to source our cocoa beans from West Africa. Cocoa Horizons’ impact-driven programme drives meaningful change for local communities immersed in the heart of this cocoa rich region. Working with farmers to develop self-sustaining communities and environmentally-friendly practices, our partnership with Cocoa Horizons ensures the improvement of cocoa production practices, livelihoods, and household income for those involved and helps to reduce poverty within local communities.
Through its multiple programmes, Cocoa Horizons is able to promote a range of social and environmental benefits including:
- Coaching programmes for farmers
- Better equipment
- Individual farm business plans
- Income diversification support
- Women's empowerment activities
- Education and schooling access to cocoa farming villages
- Better equipment
Alongside a community driven focus, initiatives to support the local environment help to protect nature and landscapes, including the planting of new shade trees and forest restoration projects.
How it works.
Part of the premium we contribute towards the Cocoa Horizons Foundation is invested in activities to improve farmers wellbeing and livelihoods long-term. Training programmes and tools are provided for cocoa farmers to enhance their craftsmanship skills, resulting in better quality and better tasting cocoa beans.
Farmers participating in the programme benefit from a better price for their cocoa, encouraging a higher economic incentive to improve the economic value. This enables farmers to invest in their farms, support their children’s education and improve their overall livelihoods in rural communities.
Positive stories
The support networks offered through Farm Services within Cocoa Horizons allow farmers to improve their cocoa farms and services. These Farm Services include:
- Cocoa production coaching
- Support for farmers to access financing solutions
- Providing cocoa farmers with improved planting materials
The Cocoa Horizons Foundation activities and premium distribution are audited annually by a third party.
Cocoa Horizons Academy
Farmers receive coaching to improve the productivity of their plantations, ensuring knowledge of production methodology is everlasting and generational. These cultivation methods are taught by accredited coaches and last year more than 210,000 farmers graduated, allowing them to move to more personalised coaching.
Women Empowerment
Within these communities, women are also taught smart farming practices and financial management. They learn to grow cocoa and other crops on their own land. With these training courses and the income from their farms, women can become financially independent and have access to better facilities for their families. The creation and strengthening of the Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) helps, among other things, to promote a women’s empowerment approach, build self-confidence and offer financing solutions for members.
Child Protection
The Cocoa Horizons Foundation distributes school kits to families which allows children to access education. The Cocoa Horizons’ truck visits villages in remote areas to engage communities by raising awareness of child protection and providing medical advice. Children are also able to partake in games and events to stimulate educational learning.
