The CHOCOLATE DREAM
The Chocolate Dream:
Creating Shared Value at Origin
The Chocolate Dream is a collaborative model of social innovation, in which Luker Chocolate seeks to transform the chocolate value chain from origin. This builds sustainable well-being amongst the communities where Luker Chocolate sources its cocoas.
The Chocolate Dream works in three main objectives
1. Improve farmer income by increasing farm productivity and quality, strengthening the associations and promoting income diversification initiatives.
2. Strengthen the social fabric of local communities by supporting education, enforcing human rights’ adoption and promoting entrepreneurship and cultural activities.
3. Maintain environmental balance in cocoa growing communities by protecting biodiversity, water, forests and soils and reducing our carbon footprint.
OUR IMPACT
39.913
Impacted people
600.000+
New trees planted
365
New formal jobs
14
Shared value projects
33.000+
Cocoa-farmers trainee in the Granja Luker
Our dream works to contribute to the following sustainable development goals (SDG)
Download our 2018-2019 Sustainability report here
HOW TO ENGAGE
By being our client you are part of The Chocolate Dream and you can use the logo in your packaging as an impact label! If you want to go further you can:
Featured Project
Education
VEHICLES FOR LEARNING
Some students from rural schools in Necoclí (the municipality where on of Luker Chocolate’s cocoa forest is located), had to walk for over an hour to reach their schools, affecting their performance and attendance. Knowing how powerful education can be in transforming realities, we realized that this had to change…
Our Sourcing Model
We are present throughout the entire cocoa value chain guaranteeing, traceability and consistency. As a result, we can:
- Benefit 2500 farmers and their communities.
- Create 630 + jobs between its farms and manufacturing plant.
- On average, prices 30-40% above international prices at farmgate.
- + 10% of the average price paid reinvested in sustainability programs for farmers and communities.
- Guarantee purchase in the regions where our anchor model is implemented.
- Traceability to the farm.
- Planted under agroforestry systems.
- Sustainable farming practices.
- Direct model to benefit surrounding communities.
- Traceability to cocoa farmers associations.
- Strengthening of associations through training in good agricultural practices.
- +5% premiums for Fino de Aroma high-quality cocoa beans.
- Traceability to the region.
- Long-term relationship based on buyer’s knowledge of local producers and the regions.
- They provide advanced payments and other services for farmers.
Beyond Sustainability: Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the cocoa farming industry need transforming?
As an industry with a complex value chain facing difficult sustainability challenges, we need to put our efforts into making sure that this is a prosperous business for all involved. In this sense, productivity remains a crucial factor in driving farmer income. Additionally, we need to promote transparency and shorten the value chain to ensure shared value creation. It is also essential that we take on the responsibility to safeguard the land and ecosystems that host cocoa by developing profitable agroforestry farming systems and thus ensuring cocoa-growing remains a sustainable activity for generations to come.
What do you mean by sustainably sourcing?
Our farms positively impact rural communities offering economic, social, and environmental development through productive reforestation and sustainable farming practices. We pay on average 30 – 40% more for this cocoa than farmers receive in West Africa.
Why is it important to source cocoa sustainably?
We believe that for the whole cocoa value chain to thrive, it is essential that cocoa-growing families and their communities can prosper. We are convinced that if we can positively impact productivity, education, and other variables directly related to farmer income and prosperity and support environmentally conscious agricultural practices, we are investing in the future of cocoa growing in our country.
What else you do to support your cocoa farmers?
In 1962, we created Granja Luker, the first center for technological research, scientific exploration, innovation, and agricultural education in cocoa in Colombia and the world. The center has two main objectives: a) research on cocoa varieties and the best agricultural practices and b) train cocoa farmers in good agricultural practices to promote quality, productivity, and environmental protection.
What is special about Luker Chocolate?
For more than 100 years, we have developed an in-depth knowledge of Colombian Fine Flavor Cocoas and how to express their uniqueness through a portfolio of fine chocolates crafted at the origin. Whether it is by generating employment in rural communities through our farms or working hand in hand with small farmer associations to help them be more productive and sustainable, we are fully invested in the prosperity of the communities we work with, bringing our clients and allies together in an effort to create shared value at origin.
Is there any deforestation in your value chain?
The scheme, called the ‘Cocoa, Forests and Peace Initiative’, in honor of cocoa’s role in advancing the historic peace process by providing rural employment to farmers and communities previously involved in the conflict, was born in 2017 as a public-private alliance aimed at promoting productive projects with zero-deforestation that take part in the protection and restoration of forests within the cocoa supply chain and that contribute to peacebuilding in Colombia.
What about Carbon footprint?
In our effort to generate a balance with the environment, our goal is to be carbon neutral concerning emissions from the production plant in Bogotá. That’s why we improved the gas consumption with the renewal of the equipment and the optimization of the processes, reducing the carbon footprint from 125.3 to 115.1 kg CO2/liquor MT; and decreasing the generating waste from 45 to 37 kg/liquor MT. Additionally, we measure the capture of CO2 that our crops have to identify opportunities for improvement in its reduction.
Get to know The Chocolate Dream
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