Our Story - Made of Africa
Vision
To create a sustainable and thriving cocoa business in Africa, in which the environment is conserved and human rights are preserved, for the enjoyment and upliftment of future generations of Africans.
Mission
AFRIKOA is committed to the possibility of eradicating unfair labour practices pervasive throughout the cocoa supply chain and to end the persistent cycle of poverty of cocoa farmers. We do this through our practice of Direct Trade with cocoa farmers, which results in the farmers being paid fairly and directly for their produce, as well as through the active management of each step of our supply chain, from Bean to Bar.
AFRIKOA will transparently engage with consumers curious and inquisitive about the true origin of the chocolate they consume and the impact it has on the environment and our people, by publishing transparency reports on our entire supply chain.
AFRIKOA strives to positively impact the narrative of the African continent.
Direct Trade
Direct Trade connects cocoa farmers with chocolate makers, without any middlemen, in a way that they become dependent on each other´s success, ethics, and professionalism. Direct Trade is so much more than Fair Trade as it does not depend on grants or fines, but rather on really sharing the value created by selling the chocolate.
By trading directly with cocoa farmers, they earn significantly more than they would if middlemen were involved. The farmers are able to support their families, they are invested in and rewarded for producing the finest-quality cocoa beans and you can enjoy our chocolate knowing that it isn’t at the expense of somebody else.xxx
Often the best cocoa is grown off the beaten track and getting the cocoa beans from our farmers in Kyela to the shipping port of Dar Es Salaam now requires a 16-hour journey by truck via dirt roads – a long trip that the farmers often take themselves in order to make sure their beans arrive safely and just one of the many examples of their passion and eagerness to empower themselves.
At each step of the process, AFRIKOA provides them with support, knowledge and resources. We are proud to be one of the few direct trade chocolate makers in the world who provide the farmers with pre-financing to ensure they can take care of their families without resorting to debt.
While direct trade is a challenge very few chocolate makers undertake, we believe in it because sometimes the right way isn’t always the easiest way.
Bean to Bar
At AFRIKOA it takes 12 steps to turn a cacao bean into a chocolate bar. Chocolate should taste like so much more than just, well chocolate.
As wine develops flavours based on where the grapes are grown, cacao beans take on the unique and distinct flavour of the environment it is grown in. Our beans have earthy, floral and fruity notes because of the rich Tanzanian soil and the surrounding fruit farms.
To create the most complex flavours we have developed a fermentation process that preserves them and our roasting process is precise and methodical journey to revealing these flavours in the chocolate bar you enjoy.
When you have tasted our Bean-to-Bar chocolate, you will instantly notice the difference.
Get in touch and we’ll make it happen.
Interested in stocking AFRIKOA in your store?
