Annual Report 2011-12

NATIONWIDEThe joy of nnoboa*!The power ofco-operativesOver 1 billion membersof co-ops worldwide(source ICA)11.5 million people aremembers of co-opsin the UK (source ICA)In Kenya over 63%of the population derivetheir livelihoodsfrom co-operatives(source ICA)In Uruguayco-operatives areresponsible for3% of the GDP(source ICA)Kuapa Kokoois the bigget co-opin Ghana with65,000 membersfrom over1400 villagesSampsonCobbinaPresidentof WassaKropongDistrict‘Farmers join KuapaKokoo because it’s ademocratic organisation.For us democracy meanswe have a say in thecompany. We can tell ourneeds, and if somethingis going wrong we pourout our grievances andthe leaders will listen.’This year was the UN International Year of Co-operatives – a celebrationof over one billion people worldwide who are members of co-operativesand who reap the benefits of pulling together, sharing resources and facilities,and leveraging greater buying and selling power. In turn co-operatives aremaking significant contributions to country economies.For Divine this was a great opportunityto highlight its ownership by a flourishingand innovative farmers co-operative inGhana, and to underline the additionalbenefits, over and above the Fairtradetrading terms, that its members enjoy fromowning their own chocolate company.We liaised with the InternationalCo-operative Alliance, and Co-operatives’UK - ensuring the biggest cocoa farmer’sco-operative in the world could share itsstory with a worldwide audience on theweb, in the media (including a specialfeature in The Grocer) and at major eventsover the course of the year.For Kuapa Kokoo co-operation meansdemocracy, accountability and transparency– ask the farmer members and they sumit up as *“nnoboa” – or the benefit ofworking together. So “nnoboa” was ourtheme for the year.Agnes Armah speaking at theWomen’s Co-operative ConferenceNational Executive member Elias Mohammedand Agnes Armah joined us from Ghana asKuapa Kokoo ambassadors for FairtradeFortnight. From Scotland to Yorkshire, andSalford to Lambeth – they illustrated thebenefits of belonging to a co-operative,and more specifically how Kuapa Kokoohas worked to improve farmers’ lives.Agnes was invited to speak at the nationalWomens Co-operative Conference inLondon where her words inspired otherwomen from many different walks of life.Gareth Thomas MP and Sophi Tranchell at ParliamentDivine’s Managing Director Sophi Tranchellgave a talk at the Co-operative Conferencetitled “Fair Enough?” which looked at whyco-operatives are key to Fairtrade, and whatthe challenges are for Fairtrade goingforward. Sophi also joined Gareth ThomasMP of the Co-operative Party to give aspecial address at Parliament, accompaniedby members of the Zaytoun Fairtradeco-operative from Palestine.“It’s an interesting time to be celebratingthe International Year of Co-operatives– as accountability is in the spotlight asnational economies unravel,” Sophi remarked.“The concept of shared ownership andshared destiny creating a better, moreresilient business is one to be celebratedand championed. We at Divine are proudto be able to say it’s the first time in historythat cocoa farmers have received thelion’s share of the profit from a chocolatecompany. We would like to see a realsea-change in support for social enterprisemodels, for co-operatives, for employee-ownership – a future where money anddecision making is in the hands of themany, and not of the few.”