Climate-positive means that more climate-damaging emissions (e.g., CO2) and impacts are sequestered than are caused.

Fairafric's goal is to leave the earth in a better condition than it was before our operations. This not only concerns CO2, but also, among other things, soil fertility, water retention, the highest possible biodiversity of plants and animals, resilience to climate change, and the production of healthy products.

The Dynamic Agroforestry (DAF) cultivation method is based on the knowledge of the indigenous peoples of Latin America and combines many elements of regenerative agriculture or permaculture. Plants are cultivated at different levels (shrubs, half-standards, etc.) within the forest, and various local tree species are planted: useful plants, biomass trees, shade trees, and so on. A primary goal is to produce a large amount of biomass to improve soil quality. Therefore, not only cacao is cultivated, but also other tree and plant species such as cashew, mango, pineapple, etc., which can be processed by Fairafric. The production of biomass sequesters a significant amount of CO2 in the long term—considerably more than is emitted in Fairafric's entire value chain.

Thanks to its own solar-powered factory, fairafric emits significantly fewer emissions than other chocolate manufacturers. Nevertheless, unavoidable emissions (e.g., in logistics) are generated. Until now, these have been offset by supporting climate projects in West Africa.

However, our big goal is to leave the environment in our own value chain better than we found it.

That's why fairafric now sources cocoa from a Dynamic Agroforestry (DAF) project in Ghana. According to initial external analyses by experts, fairafric can thus bind 3 times as much CO2 in the soil long-term as is emitted in the value chain!

Cocoa is one of the most important cash crops in West Africa. Due to a lack of alternatives and to generate income for the family, land is often cleared and then planted with as many cocoa trees as possible. After a few years of intensive cultivation, the soil's nutrient reserves are depleted, necessitating the heavy use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides. In Ghana, conventional cocoa farming is responsible for the deforestation of 25% of the rainforest.

The deforestation of rainforests releases large amounts of CO2. Furthermore, the cultivation of monocultures and the massive use of pesticides degrade soil quality, leading to a reduced capacity for water and carbon sequestration.

Advancing climate change, in turn, leads to significantly altered weather conditions and an increase in climate disasters. As conventionally grown cocoa trees show significantly lower resilience, harvest failures are already occurring for conventional cocoa, while yields from regenerative farming methods like DAF are barely affected because the plants are healthier and exhibit high resilience.

The cacao tree is a shade-loving plant. This means that the cacao tree needs larger trees (e.g., palms) above it to shade it and help it grow and thrive optimally. At DAF, therefore, care is taken to ensure that the trees and plants next to the cacao trees provide sufficient shade and supply the nutrients the cacao tree needs. A wide variety of plants is necessary for this symbiosis. This symbiosis promotes biodiversity, increases the yield per tree, improves soil fertility and water retention capacity, and the biomass trees actively store CO2 in the soil.

Initial analyses by external experts have determined that by storing biomass in the soil, fairafric can store up to 3x more CO2 in the long term than is emitted throughout the entire value chain.

1. Higher Cocoa Premium
In addition to the highest organic premium ($792/tonne) in West Africa, fairafric pays farmers a climate premium of $250/tonne. For each tonne of organic cocoa from DAF, cocoa families therefore receive $1,042. This is many times the regular organic premium ($300/tonne) or other certifications such as Fairtrade ($240/tonne).

2. Diversification of Income
Cultivating multiple crops helps diversify income and allows for earnings even outside the cocoa harvest season.

3. Better Soil Quality & Resilience to Climate Change
By improving soil fertility and leveraging other benefits of DAF for the soil, plants become significantly stronger and more resistant to environmental influences. Additionally, soil quality enhances the quality and yield of the fruits. This enables long-term and sustainable natural management of the land.

With our new Visitor Center, we also want to give our customers the opportunity to gain a deep insight into our operations. The factory tour will be combined with a visit to our farmer communities, all in one day! Unique in the world!