Impact Visit with Tony’s Chocolonely in Ghana and Ivory Coast

Harry Hummels and Niels Bosma, researchers at the Utrecht University Social Entrepreneurship Initiative, were invited by Henk Jan Beltman (Tony’s Chocolonely’s Chief Chocololate Officer) to join one of the regular visits to the partners of Tony’s Chocolonely’s in Ghana and Ivory Coast last December.

It was an excellent opportunity to build a foundation for the research program (including two PhD’s) that is being set up as part of Harry Hummels’ Chair of Social Entrepreneurship. Visits were paid to cacao farming cooperatives, its farmers, cacao traders and a school that has been supported through Tony’s activities.

The PhD’s, expected to start in the next academic year, will focus on the question how and to what extent (and under what conditions) social entrepreneurs can provide social innovations in value chains. The cacao value chain will be taken as the case at hand; the research will also examine the impact Tony’s Chocolonely’s has in the regions where they buy their cacao.

Tony’s Chocolonely’s philosophy is that, by paying a premium over the market price, cooperatives and their farmers have more resources to become more productive and will feel less pressured to adopt child labour practices. By demonstrating a viable business model (Tony’s has seen massive market share growth and has won several awards) at the same time, they intend to set an examples for other, major chocolate producers so that in the end the cacao value chain can be free of slavery and child labour.

During the trip, Harry and Niels learnt about the ways cacao cooperatives work with Tony’s Chocolonely, what issues the traders are presented with, as well as the issues farmers are faced with – ranging from (too) small acreages to increasing urbanisation and diminishing attractiveness for youth to become cacao farmers.

It was a very valuable, real-world insight in the cacao value chain. With our prospective PhD’s we look forward to contribute to the existing academic knowledge and make a significant impact on society.