Bantu Chocolate: Cameroon’s Seed-to-Bar Chocolate that goes Beyond Fair-trade
Our mission
In 2016 my mother decided to use the land she had inherited from her ancestors to start a farm in Cameroon. We not only planted cacao but opted for a regenerative agriculture approach and have also planted thousands of trees such as bananas, plantains, papaya, avocado, mangoes, shade and environmentally friendly trees to enhance biodiversity, protect and nourish soils.
No country can achieve sustainable economic development without substantial investment in human capital. Education enriches people's understanding of themselves and the world as a whole.
After the scandal of child labor and modern slavery in 2000’s, the chocolate lobby convinced angry regulators that the industry could fix the child labor issue by 2005. Certifications, such as Fairtrade, UTZ, and Rainforest Alliance used to be perceived as great initiatives, but over the years they have become more of a marketing tool to bypass certain morals and put the consumer more at ease when in reality, over 20 years later, not much has changed.
By cultivating our own Cacao on a land passed down through generations, and producing a tasteful bean-to-bar chocolate, we want to wash away the persistent negative stereotypes surrounding West Africa Cacao and show that there are quality-conscious makers committed to ethically sourced, traceable and high-quality beans.
Our farm is located in Cameroon, we make chocolate in London, and work hard to bring all the attention back to Cameroon and Africa as a whole by promoting children’s education and literacy in our village, creating employment opportunities as well as having a positive community impact by paying our collaborators a living wage. This will empower and support local members of the communities to solve their problems by themselves and help to fill in the gaps in basic health, education, income generation, and hygiene improvements.
The education sector is undeniably strategic to economic development.
By investing in job creating SME’s, like Bantu Chocolate, the aim is to create attractive post-education opportunities for young people, which can engender a virtuous cycle of progress in the future.
So far, the website is nearly ready, the firs samples will delivered shortly to buyers and journalists, compostable packaging is ready, first photoshoot is done.
Your participation will allow us to implement a strong marketing support program of social media, press campaigns and strategic events.
The investments breakdown is as follows:
-
40% Production: harvest, shipment, bulk production
-
30% for Marketing Programme: content productions, events, social media, paid social
-
30% for New Product Development: research, design, travel