FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
From raw cocoa pod to finished product, the cocoa bean is the primary source of income for 40 to 50 million people worldwide. Of these people, an estimated 5 to 6 million are cocoa farmers. Small farms produce more than 90 percent of the world’s cocoa. Many of these small farmers are living at or only slightly above the poverty level.
The Global Cocoa Project (GCP) is working to provide these small farmers with the proper tools to operate their farms and produce high-quality cocoa, as well as basic needs to improve their quality of life. With proper tools, cocoa farmers can harvest their crops more efficiently and produce a higher-quality cocoa. With a higher quality harvest, farmers are able to command a higher price for their beans, increase their annual income, and better their standard of living. Basic needs that the GCP seeks to provide include bicycles to transport goods to local markets, wells so that the village women don’t have to travel for hours every day in search of potable water, latrines and sanitation education, and solar-powered lights and lanterns so farmers and their children can extended the productivity of their day.
Who created the Global Cocoa Project?
The Global Cocoa Project was created by Shana Dressler with the help of Tom Neuhaus. Shana is the founder of the Global Giving Circle, based in Brooklyn, New York. Tom is the founder of Project Hope & Fairness and the owner of Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates, an online store with a retail shop in San Luis Obispo, California.
The Global Giving Circle
The Global Giving Circle (GCC) is a non-profit organization that enables people of all income levels to support grassroots social enterprises and philanthropic initiatives focused on poverty alleviation. We work with high-impact non-profits to produce events and online campaigns that fund specific projects. Our areas of interest include international development, human rights, youth education, and leadership with a focus on female empowerment and social entrepreneurship. For more information, please visit www.globalgivingcircle.org.
Project Hope & Fairness
Tom Neuhaus founded Project Hope & Fairness (PH&F) in 2006. PH&F is a non-profit organization that assists African cocoa farmers who suffer disproportionately from the inequities in the world cocoa trade. The primary mission of PH&F is to enhance the sustainability of West African cocoa villages. Currently, PH&F is focusing its efforts in Côte d’Ivoire.
PH&F’s support for farmers comes in the form of tools such as solar dryers for cocoa beans, scales to prevent fraud by middlemen, and wells providing fresh water to villages. Additionally, PH&F provides farmers with education and training. Within the United States, PH&F educates consumers about the injustices endured by cocoa farmers and encourages producers of cocoa products to purchase ethically traded cocoa.
For more information, please visit: http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org
Why was the Global Cocoa Project created?
On Valentine’s Day 2009, the Global Giving Circle (GGC) held a chocolate tasting fundraiser in New York City to benefit Project Hope & Fairness (PH&F). The event raised $5,500, mostly from individual donations of $25. PH&F used the money to aid cocoa farmers in Côte d’Ivoire by purchasing weighing scales for the villages of Abekro, Broguhe and Djahakro, and digging a well in a central location in Broguhe. The success of this event inspired Shana Dressler to create the Global Cocoa Project in order to a make greater impact among chocolate farmers who are among the 5 billion global citizens living below the poverty line.
What impact did the donations from the GGC 2009 Valentine’s Day fundraiser have?
Before owning scales, cocoa farmers in the villages of Abekro, Broguhe, and Djahakro relied on middlemen who purchased their cocoa to weigh the product and determine how much it was worth. These middlemen would typically weigh the cocoa off-site and cheat the farmers, claiming that the cocoa weighed less than its actual weight. The scales donated via the Valentine’s Day fundraiser now enable these farmers to be present when their cocoa is weighed and therefore to receive a fair price for their cocoa each time they make a sale.
The well in Broguhe not only provided essential water for the villages, but also significantly reduced the time village women had to spend collecting water.
How does the Global Cocoa Project affect women and girls?
Women and girls participate in cocoa production, but the time they spend working depends on how quickly they are able to complete household duties. Collecting and transporting water for home use takes an average of 2-3 hours each day. By making fresh water easily accessible through the installation of village wells, the Global Cocoa Project directly influences the lives of women and girls. The well we installed in Broguhe not only provided water for the villages, but also significantly reduced the time that village women had to spend collecting water. With this additional free time, these women began building new small businesses. One group of women formed a cooperative and began to harvest yams, rice, and cassava, which they now sell in local markets.
What is the difference between cocoa and cacao?
The words “cocoa” and “cacao” have been used interchangeably since the 1500s. “Cacao” comes from an ancient Nahuatl word, cacahuatl, meaning “bitter water.” Theobroma cacao is the scientific name for the tree that produces cacao beans. Cacao beans are the seed from which cocoa butter and cocoa solids are extracted. Generally speaking, “cocoa” is the ultimate product after the cacao beans have been harvested, fermented and dried. However, the beans of the cacao tree are sometimes called both “cacao beans” and “cocoa beans,” and the finished product is referred to as both “cocoa” and “cacao.” It’s best to assume that when someone says “cocoa,” they may mean “cacao” and vice versa.
Does the Global Cocoa Project work with chocolate companies?
To date, the Global Cocoa Project has worked with the following chocolatiers and chocolate companies:
Alter Eco Fair Trade, Amano Chocolate, Baked NYC, Bittersweet Escapes, Bond Street Chocolate, Bonnat, Chocolate for Change, Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates, Coppeneur USA, Divine Chocolate USA, Donna & Company, El Ceibo, Equal Exchange, Fine & Raw, Green & Blacks, Gnosis Chocolate, Jacques Torres, Kallari Chocolates, Kama Sutra, Kopali Organics, Lake Champlain Chocolates, Madécasse, Marie Belle, MOHO, Pacari, Roni Sue’s Chocolates, Stogo NYC, Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates, sweetriot, Taza, Tcho, The Chocolate Room, Theo Chocolate, Valrhona, Vere and Vosges Haut-Chocolat.
What makes the Global Cocoa Project unique?
Many non-profits focus either on improving social services or on addressing specific gaps in developmental needs. The Global Cocoa Project has chosen to address the most basic needs in both of these areas in the lives of cocoa farmers. Provisions such as easy access to clean water, sanitation, and power for lights are essential to the farmers’ health and well-being while tools like scales, moisture meters and organic insecticide sprayers are critical to improving the quality of the farmers’ cocoa and ensuring they are able to earn a livable wage.
Where does the Global Cocoa Project work?
The GCP is focusing its work in Côte d’Ivoire, which supplies 75 percent of the cocoa beans used in American-consumed chocolate, and where farmers are among the poorest worldwide. Over the eight years that Project Hope & Fairness has worked in the area, PH&F and these villages have established a relationship of trust and mutual respect, a crucial component to the success of the project. Once this first project is complete, the GCP will expand to other countries.
What is the political environmental in Côte d’Ivoire? How will that affect the work of the Global Cocoa Project?
Côte d’Ivoire experienced a civil war from 2002 – 2007 and given the current presidential standoff, GCP is in constant communication with our local contacts. If, however, it becomes clear that political unrest will jeopardize the delivery of our services, then all funds raised will be redirected to help cocoa farmers in other countries where there are organizations with strong partners on the ground.
Where will the Global Cocoa Project begin its work?
We will be working with villages within the Haut-Sassandra and Gagnoa regions of Côte d’Ivoire in collaboration with PH&F. We are beginning our work in this part of Côte d’Ivoire because it is a politically stable region and contains where large producers of cacao are located.
Haut-Sassandra is one of the 19 regions of Côte d’Ivoire. The region’s capital is Daloa. Covering 15,200 km2, its population (2002 est.) is 1,186,600. The region is divided into three departments: Daloa, Issia, and Vavoua. Most of our villages are found near Daloa and Issia. 4.3 percent of the world’s cocoa comes from the Daloa department.n (reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haut-Sassandra)
Gagnoa is found in the Fromager Region of Côte d’Ivoire. Gagnoa is a market town with a population of just over 100,000 (1995 data), making it the eighth largest city in the country. (reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gagnoa)
How did you select the first villages which will receive the first wave of donations and why were those particular villages chosen?
Project Hope & Fairness has identified the first 21 villages to support with the help of Albert Kouassi Konan, the former COO of Kavokiva, a leading local fair trade certification organization in Côte d’Ivoire. These villages were chosen because of their proximity to each other and tribal relationships with one another.
How does the Global Cocoa Project know what supplies are needed in each village?
For the past eight years, Tom Neuhaus has been working with Albert Kouassi Konan, the project’s on-the ground-manager and former COO of Kavokiva, a leading fair trade certification organization, to determine the needs of villagers in Côte d’Ivoire. With the money that the Global Cocoa Project raised from a fundraiser at the Hudson Terrace in February 2010, PH&F was able to hire Albert to survey the specific needs of additional villages geographically close to our first three partner villages.
How long will it take to fully fund a village?
The first part of our fundraising campaign targets established groups—either formal giving circles or community groups. As soon as we receive a donation, whether it’s the entire project amount or a portion, GCP wires the money to an account we have opened in Côte d’Ivoire. GCP’s project manager, Albert Kouassi Konan, then oversees the purchase, delivery and/or construction of the items funded. The GCP has structured the project in a way so that donors may indicate what they want to fund. Albert sends us photos and a written description of what is purchased and constructed, and GCP then passes this information along to the donors through frequent e-newsletters.
What happens if a project/village is not fully funded?
Because the Global Cocoa Project raises money for specific items, we purchase or fund these items incrementally as the funds become available through donations. We will also be raising money for general funds to supplement other needs identified through our village-specific needs assessments.
Will my donation be given directly to the farmers, or will the Global Cocoa Project buy supplies and then ship them to the cocoa farmers?
Whether a donor or organization makes a general donation or has specifically earmarked their donation for a specific item, 90 percent of all donations will be used to fund the specific needs of the local communities. Albert Kouassi Konan, our project manager in Côte d’Ivoire, buys all supplies in Côte d’Ivoire in order to support local businesses there. We allocate the remaining 10 percent of donations to cover operational costs.
How does The Global Cocoa Project ensure that the supplies reach the farmers?
Once we have raised a significant portion of the total budget, Tom Neuhaus will be returning to Côte d’Ivoire to conduct a in-the-field project impact report. He will survey the results on the ground. In addition, Project Hope and Fairness will be receiving routine feedback and photographic documentation from our project manager, Albert Kouassi Konan. You can follow the progress though frequent e-newsletters.
How will the Global Cocoa Project determine future villages to work with?
GCP believes that we can make the largest impact by focusing on building regional capacity. By focusing on one region at a time, we gain standardization efficiencies because villages in the same region tend to need similar services. In addition, our on-the-ground project manager can travel more frequently between villages that are located in a well-defined geographic region.
Are there plans to expand into other countries?
The Global Cocoa Project is currently focusing our efforts on 21 villages in Côte d’Ivoire. Once we have honored our commitment to help these villages, we will continue working in the area to ensure that our successes are maintained. We are currently considering plans to expand to Ghana. Any work outside of West Africa will be in collaboration with an international or local NGO.
How do I donate to one of the 21 villages?
If you would like to donate to a particular village, please get in touch with Shana directly at shana[at]globalcocoaproject.org.
Can I send in a check to make my donation?
Yes! Checks should be made out to Global Cocoa Project. Please email shana[at]globalcocoaproject.org to receive the mailing address.
Is the Global Cocoa Project a tax-exempt entity?
The Global Cocoa Project is in the process of getting its 501(c)(3) non-profit status from the state of New York.
Will I receive a tax receipt for my donation?
You will not receive a tax receipt to deduct from your taxes until the GCP receives its 501(c)(3) status.
May I donate anonymously?
Yes. If you send us a check please also enclose a short note letting us know that you would like your donation to remain anonymous.
How do I get my company to match my donation?
Many companies have programs through which they will “match” the charitable contributions made by their employees. Your employer can increase your gift to the Global Cocoa Project through a corporate gift-matching program, which will make a greater impact on the farmers with whom we’re working.
You can contact your company’s Human Resources office to see if they offer gift matching. If you discover that they don’t, consider asking your company to start doing so. If your employer does offer this type of program, your Human Resources department should provide you with a gift-matching form to send to Global Cocoa Project, along with your donation. If they don’t provide a form, please email shana[at]globalcocoaproject.org to have one sent to you.
How much of my donation will go to the project?
90 percent of all donations are used for project costs, while 10 percent is allocated to covering operating costs.
Will I receive an update on the status of the project/village?
Yes, we share the progress of the fundraising campaign with anyone who signs up for our e-newsletter. Please go to the Global Cocoa Project home page to sign up.
If you have any questions not answered in these FAQs, please email shana[at]globalcocoaproject.org.