Women have played an important role in the chocolate industry throughout history. In fact, some of the earliest chocolate makers were women. In the 18th century, it was common for women in Europe to make chocolate at home, often using traditional recipes passed down through generations.
Today, women continue to be involved in all aspects of the chocolate industry, from farming and production, marketing and sales. In many cocoa-producing countries, women are the backbone of the industry, working as cocoa farmers, labourers, and traders.
In recent years, there has been a growing movement to support women in chocolate and to address the unique challenges faced in the industry. Some organisations are rallying together to provide training and resources to women cocoa farmers, and others are working to promote gender equity and inclusivity in chocolate companies and leadership positions.
As a female run business, we're here to support other females in the chocolate industry, which is why we only work directly with farms, where we know that the women and workers are getting paid a good wage for their hard work. By buying premium priced cocoa and working with farms where women are supported, we hope to help make them feel empowered to continue working in within the industry.
Our India Idukki bean (a favourite bean loved by many of our customers and used in our Blueberry and Almond bar), the farm works to support women on the farms, where they can benefit from premium prices paid for the cocoa, from us and other craft chocolate makers. The post-harvesting part of the process is a women-only managed too!