Chocolate you can feel good about

Chocolate tastes all the better when you know it’s made with cacao that’s been purchased from fairly paid farmers. Here, Kervell Prospere, who manages our Island Growers Programme in Saint Lucia, shares how we go one further than that by supporting farmers with the knowledge they need to grow crops that thrive.

Since 2006, we’ve been doing so much more than simply buying the cacao that goes into our chocolate, we’ve been growing some of it ourselves too. This roots-to-wrapper approach is how we know that responsible cacao production is about so much more than just nurturing it to grow in the right environment. It’s also about paying farmers fairly, getting to know them and working closely with them, in order to show our appreciation for the part they play in creating the chocolate our guests (and we) love.

When we bought our own cacao farm – Rabot Estate – in Saint Lucia, we wanted to develop our knowledge and learn what it takes to grow cacao sustainably, all while helping to rejuvenate Saint Lucia’s cacao production industry, which was in decline. This is how, in 2008, we came to set up our Island Growers Programme. We spoke with Island Growers Manager, Kervell Prospere, to learn more about the programme and what it does for the island of Saint Lucia.

What is the Island Growers Programme?

The Island Growers Programme aims to encourage farmers on Saint Lucia to grow cacao. We offer support to farmers by sharing the best methods of cacao production with them, as learned during cacao production at our own farm, with a focus on how to grow cacao sustainably and ethically.

­­Once a farmer joins the programme, we supply them with subsidised seedlings and support them with the knowledge they need on how best to grow them. When the trees start producing crops, we commit to buying all their cacao and pay them above the market rate.

Why does Hotel Chocolat buy cacao at a premium rate?

Our aim is to support and reward farmers who engage in sustainable farming methods. For example, cacao thrives in biodiverse conditions, so our farmers are encouraged to grow other trees such as mango or coconut around their cacao crops. Not only is this helping to prevent deforestation and improve climate resilience, but it’s also creating vital shade, which cacao needs to thrive. Plus, it gives our farmers another source of income while the cacao trees are growing, as it can take three to five years before the cacao trees produce their first crop.

Another way we support farmers is by buying wet beans but paying dried bean prices for them. Buying them wet allows us to ensure our quality standards are achieved during the week-long fermentation process, which happens before the beans are dried. It also saves on production costs for small farms, helping farmers to earn a liveable income. As they know we’ll buy every single bean they produce, and at a higher rate, this encourages them to grow cacao sustainably and not waste a single pod or bean. This forms part of our Gentle Farming approach.

What challenges has the Island Growers Programme faced?

In its early days, the programme focused on supporting farmers in the town of Soufriere, but it soon expanded across the island. At the time the programme started, we recorded 220 farmers who were interested. However, when I started as Island Growers Manager back in 2020, we only had 18 farmers providing us with cacao.

It was clear we had lost some of our engagement with the farmers since the programme began in 2008. My main responsibility was getting farmers back on board. I started off by getting out in the field, spending time with the farmers and getting to know their cacao farms. This was a good opportunity for me to share learnings on things like pruning and other farming practices that we use at Rabot Estate.

Through this hands-on research, we discovered that a great way to improve the Island Growers Programme was to appoint representatives to be the voice of the farmers in Saint Lucia. We currently have three (one in the north, one in the east, and one in the west). They share with us any issues the farmers are having, so we can make improvements. This is what led us to introduce our cacao collection point. Previously, we asked farmers to bring their cacao to us at Rabot Estate, but this was proving difficult logistically for some of the farmers. So now we go out to them to pick it up. We also arrange for them to be paid in fewer than seven days.

How successful have the changes to the Island Growers Programme been?

We’re pleased with the results we’re seeing. The amount of cacao our Island Growers produce has massively increased. When I started this job, annually we only sent one shipping container of around eight tonnes back from Saint Lucia to the UK. Now we send two containers of around 19-20 tonnes.

Currently, we have 70 Island Growers actively supplying us with cacao – a number that is constantly increasing as more farmers want to join the programme. With the rise in the number of farmers, it is harder to get out to see them all in person as much, but we still speak regularly and share tips with each other.

For me, sharing knowledge is the most beautiful aspect of the programme. We learn so much from our farmers and they learn so much from us.

What does the future look like for the Island Growers Programme?

Gentle Farming covers more than growing cacao sustainably, it’s about ethics too, such as ensuring there’s no forced or child labour in our supply chain. As a business, we want to ensure our supply chain aligns to the values and practices we uphold as part of our own cacao production at Rabot Estate. We are therefore reviewing and auditing all our suppliers to ensure they are also applying ethical and sustainable practices to the production of their cacao. By reviewing our partners, we can identify if there are any issues and work together to resolve them.

Revitalising the cacao industry

Kervell’s boots-on-the-ground approach clearly works. To go from 18 farmers supplying cacao in 2020 to 70 farmers only two years later is an achievement he should be proud of – we sure are! He has made many positive changes as Island Growers Manager. The programme grew as a result of Kervell spending time with farmers and listening to them in order for us all to work together. With that same approach, we’re sure the audit of our suppliers will be a success, and we can continue to make chocolate you can feel good about.

Since transforming the Rabot Estate into an organic, sustainable cacao farm, we have helped revitalise the cacao industry in Saint Lucia. You can see this for yourself during a visit to the Rabot Estate, which is home to our award-winning Rabot Hotel where we run an immersive and educational experience called Project Chocolat.

What is Project Chocolat?

Project Chocolat connects chocolate-lovers with ethical cacao-growing. There are two types of tours, which are open to both residents and non-residents of the hotel: Bean to Bar and Tree to Bar. Bean to Bar includes the chance to taste cacao pulp from a freshly cut pod before going on to make your very own chocolate bar. Tree to Bar is the full experience (which hotel guests can do at a discounted rate) and is a fantastic way to see Gentle Farming in practice.

As Kervell mentioned, cacao thrives when it’s grown in the shade, so we surround our cacao crops with coconut, mango, citrus, and other trees to allow dappled sunlight through. On the Tree to Bar experience, you can marvel at this beautiful biodiversity, as you walk through the rainforest to find out how cacao grows during a guided tour, then learn how to graft a tree. All before hand-crafting your very own chocolate bar.

Learn more about Project Chocolat or book your experience today.