Launched in 2016 by Julia Mikerova and Björn Becker, the Brussels-based ‘bean-to-bar’ chocolate brand Mike&Bekie has always made transparency the cornerstone of its project, with a view to social and environmental sustainability throughout its supply chain.
Since 2015, Chocolatoa has been producing bean-to-bar chocolate that is both artisanal and ethical. But the Belgian chocolate maker also shares its expertise through training and professional advice, led by its founder, Mario Vandeneede. After completing his chocolate-making studies in Mechelen, Mario Vandeneede spent some time in Ecuador. There he taught chocolate processing at the […]
Their innovation? A process for making chocolate using the whole cocoa fruit, not just the beans.
Founded in 2016, Incub’Ivoir has rapidly established itself as a key player in innovation in agricultural value chains in Côte d’Ivoire. In partnership with the Enabel’s Trade for Development Centre, the incubator has strengthened its marketing and project management skills, while developing a service offering that responds to the specific challenges of the sector. We […]
It was almost 5 years ago that the famous Belgian chocolate maker Galler took the decision to go Fairtrade and source only Fairtrade cocoa.
For several years now, Virunga Origins has been offering fair trade and organic chocolate and coffee, produced from A to Z in the Democratic Republic of Congo, on the outskirts of the famous eponymous park.
Enabel’s Trade for Development Centre commissioned AKA ZEBRA to carry out a study to clarify and document the operational, financial and commercial procedures and implications for Ivorian cocoa cooperatives wanting to convert from a “local” to an “export” cooperative. The report details these implications and steps and also defines the conditions for a successful […]
Established in 2005, Belvas, the chocolate factory whose name stands for Belgium and “Valeur Ajoutée pour le Sud” (vas) meaning added value for the South, has made fair trade its trademark. Thierry Noesen, the founder, puts it simply, “If a customer asks for non-fair trade chocolate, we have to say we don’t do that here.”
The Cacao-Trace programme, set up in 2015 by Belgian bakery and chocolate specialist Puratos, aims to improve the living conditions of planters by focusing on improved cocoa quality, which also means increased value.
After two years of coaching with the consultant Dominique Derom, the results are extremely positive for the Yeyasso cooperative. “We have evolved a lot,” confides its director Yeo Yessongbananan Moussa, and, to say the least, it shows!
