Sustainability and Social Impact

A’cappella Chocolate has a mission to spread joy and inspire artistic expression, one delicious bite at a time – but none of that would be possible without the families that grow our Cocoa Beans.

Our chocolate is produced from Cocoa Beans that are grown, harvested, and processed in Peru under a comprehensive and financially supported system of sustainable farming and production. A’cappella Chocolate pays a premium to our Peruvian supply partner specifically in support of this program, which has a positive effect on farmers’ communities and makes a significant social, economic, and environmental impact in the following areas:

Social Impact

Enhancing Cocoa Productivity

• Training in sustainable harvesting and post-harvest technique
• Training in disease prevention and control, shade management, pruning and soil health
• Trainings in Organic Fertilizers, Shade Trees, Resource Efficiency, Pest Control
• Donating tools that facilitate an increase in cocoa production, helping farmers improve their community’s economy

Education

• Empowering woman through gender equality and specific training programs available for any women who wish to start their own crops

Child Safety

• Firm “No Child Labor” policy
• Promoting education and facilitating school projects
• Improving schools close to farmers’ communities so children have access to equipped learning environments

Healthcare

• Collaboration with the Ministry of Health to conduct free medical check-ups and nutrition training
• Access to clean water
• Clean water filters in locations where easy to access clean water is in short supply

Economic Impact

Finance

• Access to micro-credits and interest-free financing
• Providing farmers payment in advance
• Promoting banking access

Working Environment

• Working with IDH – The IDH program, based in the Netherlands, is a non-profit organization that promotes and accelerates the development of business models and sustainable supply chains of different crops by creating alliances between private sector organizations, civil society organizations, governments, and other stakeholders, to facilitate their cooperation and address the following objectives:
  • Improve Farmers’ incomes
  • Eliminate deforestation, child labor, and malnutrition
  • Promote gender equality by empowering women

Environmental Impact

• UTZ certified – Cocoa beans certified UTZ are grown by farmers who have been trained to implement better agricultural practices, with respect for people and the planet. This certification supports sustainable agriculture
• Fair Trade – Allows farmers to obtain a higher and more stable sale price