How Sweet It Is
Looking at Comfort Kumeah's delicate brown hands, you couldn't tell that she has spent several decades fiercely tending to her cocoa trees with a machete.
A primary-school teacher during the week and a farmer by week's end, Comfort's knowledge of cocoa farming is told through her timeworn eyes. They widen to emphasize the tedious four- to five-year process it takes for a single cocoa tree to grow.
Comfort speaks to Congressional staff on how fair trade has impacted the lives of cocoa farmers.
Only then, as she explains, does the real labor begin — clearing weeds, cracking cocoa pods, fermenting and drying the beans, and, often, shielding the dried beans from the rain.
She tends to her 5-acre cocoa farm on Saturdays after completing her household chores. And Sundays, she says, are reserved for attending church.
For many in Comfort's small, close-knit community of Mim, Ghana, cocoa farming has been handed down through the generations. The practice is deeply ingrained in the culture, although the hot climate makes it impossible to keep a chocolate bar in most homes, Comfort points out.
While cocoa is one of Ghana's key industries, trade provisions have long overlooked farmers who till in the fields for a meager profit.
Comfort, a mother of five adult children, recounts her own father's struggle. "He had a large farm but couldn't do much," she explains. "He didn't have enough money and his land turned to bush."
Extending Their Reach
Today, Comfort exudes a sense of accomplishment as a member of the Kuapa Kokoo cocoa farmers' cooperative, Ghana's only cooperative of fair trade cocoa farmers. Fair trade guarantees farmers a decent price for their cocoa. Their earnings, in turn, allow them to live better and pay their children's school fees.
Members of Kuapa Kokoo proudly display cocoa pods in Ghana.
"All farmers have a say," Comfort says. "The scales are always checked to make sure farmers are not cheated."
Buyers also reward the farmers with bonuses for exceeding their seasonal quotas.
Kuapa Kokoo was formed in 1993, after the Ghanaian government liberalized the cocoa industry, giving private companies licenses to buy cocoa. The co-op also owns almost half of Divine Chocolate, a fair trade company that manufactures and distributes a variety of high-quality chocolate bars throughout the United Kingdom and United States. Divine Chocolate's products are made with 100 percent fair trade cocoa beans grown by Kuapa Kokoo.
CRS supports cocoa growers in Ghana by selling Divine Chocolate and sponsoring such events as the Raise Money Right contest, which offers students a trip to Ghana. Last year, the CRS Fair Trade program surpassed its goal of $200,000 in chocolate sales.
Divine Chocolate bars come in a variety of flavors and new packaging.
Divine recently opened its U.S. subsidiary, Divine USA, which is based in Washington, D.C. The company aims not only to boost its U.S. sales, but also to educate American retailers and consumers on the positive impact fair trade has on the lives of cocoa growers.
"Our mission is to be a visible and vocal catalyst for change in the chocolate industry," says Erin Gorman, Divine's Washington-based chief executive officer, noting that U.S chocolate consumption is a $13-billion industry. "Capturing even a small percentage of that market means huge benefits to cocoa farmers," says Erin.
Putting Profits into the Community
Like other fair trade groups, Kuapa Kokoo puts some of its profits back into the community. The group has headed projects to install community toilets in villages and built clean-water systems and schools in communities so children would no longer have to walk miles each day to attend class.
A sign for a day care center financed by Kuapa Kokoo's profits.
"They are happier because they need not walk again," says Comfort, who also serves as the cooperative's local and national secretary. She is the first woman to be elected to the post. "Kuapa Kokoo has a mission to improve the living conditions of its farmers."
Farmers are trained to generate out-of-season income, such as extracting and selling palm oil, making soap, producing tie-dyed textiles and growing mushrooms. Women are also empowered to take part in the organization's decision making.
Comfort's own story is one of success. The extra income from cocoa sales allowed her to pay her children's school fees. They have all gone to college and have embarked on professional careers.
Comfort is also visibly pleased to know that many of the 128 children in her kindergarten class will have a brighter future.
Their respect for her becomes clear, she says, when the youngsters visit her at home. "They are happy that I'm their teacher and their leader."
