The Business in the Community Responsible Business Awards celebrate the very best in responsible business, and aim to inspire and enlighten the world with the innovative business stories that are at the heart of every community, and to highlight the untold stories of businesses that are driving positive changes in their operations both nationally, and internationally.
Cocoa Life is an independently verified programme that aims to support sustainable cocoa farming, securing a positive future for cocoa farmers, their families and their communities. Cocoa Life directly connects buyers to farmers in order to turn them from subsistence operations to sustainable businesses, by growing crop yields, driving up incomes and strengthening community development.
From its inception in 2012 to the end of 2017, Cocoa Life had improved the lives of 120,500 cocoa farmers in 1,085 communities. By 2022, Mondelēz will have invested $400m to reach 200,000 cocoa farmers and one million people in cocoa growing communities in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Indonesia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, and India.
The Global Development Award celebrates businesses that demonstrate impact against the UN Sustainable Development Goals and this win cements Cocoa Life’s place as an industry leading sustainability programme, recognised as having a genuine, significant and positive impact on the communities it reaches.
Commenting on the win, Cathy Pieters, Director of Cocoa Life, said: “The wonderful thing about Cocoa Life is the way it links people who love to eat chocolate with the people who grow its essential ingredient. With Cocoa Life we are giving voice to farmers and communities who previously had none. Such amazing recognition for Cocoa Life in the U.K. is a great credit to the powerful work by the program team and the inspiring way Cadbury has brought it to life for consumers.”
Amanda Mackenzie, Chief Executive at Business in the Community, said: “Huge congratulations to Mondelez on their success in this year’s Responsible Business Awards. They are putting responsible business practices at the core of their company and are helping to create our mission to create healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart. We know they will now use this award to inspire and teach others. They do Britain plc proud with their leadership on the responsible business agenda.”