Five to six million cocoa farmers worldwide depend on cocoa production for their livelihoods. Ninety percent of the world’s cocoa comes from small-scale farmers. By supporting small-scale farmers of sustainably-raised premium cocoa, Root Capital helps farmers stabilize and increase their incomes and grow rural prosperity.
SOGEPA, an organic cocoa exporter, located in Dame-Marie, Haiti, nine hours from Port-au-Prince, is firmly rooted in in the community, offering social and environmental benefits to its producers and local communities. SOGEPA, with Root Capital support, is contributing to better incomes for cocoa farmers while increasing tree cover in a country with only 1.5 percent of forest tracts remaining.
Pangoa is a Fair Trade and organic-certified coffee cooperative located in San Martín de Pangoa, Peru. Pangoa's 207 active members are small-scale farmers who cultivate shade-grown coffee, cocoa, and honey. A Root Capital client since 2006, Pangoa is well known for its innovative community programs and initiatives. The cooperative uses revenue from Fair Trade coffee sales to sponsor projects in reforestation, health, and education.
La Red is a small cocoa cooperative in the Dominican Republic that export its members’ cocoa so farmers are no longer forced to sell locally to middlemen at low prices. With credit from Root Capital and reliable sales to Taza Chocolate, La Red can pay its members a higher price for their cocoa beans, allowing farmers to improve their standard of living.