One bar : One tree @Virunga
An independent 2012 study about Original Beans partnership effort in Virunga concluded that 13,000 farmers in the region had been guided and trained for certified cacao production. Their income had doubled from $500 to over $1000 per year (sic!). Most people involved had been educated about HIV/Aids and tuberculosis. The study calculated that 3 million trees had been planted and deforestation rates had halved since the beginning of the Virunga cacao project. In the meantime, Cru Virunga 70% had become a multi-awarded chocolate and was served by leading chefs and patissiers.
This work is ongoing, as more farmers join, more trees get planted, and the local farmer support organization we finance, called IDAD, deepens these impacts.
Want to follow the impact of this project? One bar : One tree : Go see!