Original Beans

This project, run by Original Beans in partnership with Aquaculture, Sustainable Agriculture Development Initiatives (ASA DI), the Lorna Young Foundation, Initiative de Developpement pour l’Agroforesterie Durable (IDAD), League of Women Farmers' Organizations of North Kivu (LOFEPACO) and Central Agricultural Cooperative of North Kivu (COOCENKI), aims to create the first eco-positive gourmet chocolate from the Democratic Republic of Congo.  

The project takes place around Virunga National Park, situated in North Kivu and registered as a protected area, biodiversity hotspot and World Heritage site. For decades, conflict, poverty, migration and deforestation around Virunga Park into North Kivu and Oriental Province have led to a a vicious cycle. Movement of displaced populations and poverty-driven subsistence farming has led to rampant slash and burn of old-growth rainforests. This project will address deforestation in Virunga Park and deliver poverty reduction through the production of quality cocoa. The project specifically targets female smallholder farmers and the wider cooperative membership within their organisations.

Original Beans is currently seen as producing some of the best chocolate in the world and at the same time as leading the sustainability agenda. Founded as a chocolate and conservation company in 2008, the business model is set-up to include planting one tree per bar. In the DRC, the project will establish a holistic model for reforestation activities and cocoa expansion in Mid and Northern parts of Virunga, using an approach that focuses on informed replanting, farmer enrolment programmes, nursery infrastructure and technical support and extension outreach to some 10,000 smallholder farmers using radio/SMS platforms. Locally, the project will collaborate with conservation institutions to reduce deforestation rates in critical forest zones, by driving sustainable land management practices and incentivising quality cocoa production. This will improve farmer incomes, and slow the slash and burn cycle. This is recognised as the most cost-effective of all measures against global climate change.

In the UK and German market, the project will drive consumer demand for high quality premium cocoa by targeting organic retailers and wholesalers, high-end department stores and specialty food, wine, and coffee retailers. The project will develop a mechanism for consumers to actively engage with and invest in rainforest conservation, by driving quality consumption and telling the story of Virunga park and smallholder lives, as well as linking online into a ‘carbon voucher’ mechanism and a system which distributes funds into the project.

The project will grow Cru Virunga chocolate as an eco-positive product following initial on farm- measurements and Life Cycle Assessments to quantify carbon and biodiversity baselines, and track the positive environmental impact of the project throughout its 3 year duration.  This project is expected to contribute to:

• a) improved social conditions as a result of increased income for poor women farmers through a higher value quality cocoa product;
• b) a positive environmental impact resulting from reforestation activities and better land management;
• c) stronger local capacity to implement sustainable agriculture programmes in future;
• d) heightened awareness of UK consumers on sustainability, conservation and high quality premium chocolate from Virunga Park.