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

Fairafric's goal is to leave the Earth in a better state than it was before our work. This involves not only CO2 reduction, but also 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. These have so far been offset by supporting climate projects in West Africa.
However, our main goal within our own value chain is to leave the environment in a better condition than we found it.
Therefore, starting in 2024, we will source our cocoa from a Dynamic Agroforestry (DAF) project in Ghana. According to initial external analyses by experts, fairafric can thus bind four times as much CO2 in the soil in the 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.

Deforestation of the rainforest releases large amounts of CO2. Furthermore, monoculture farming and the massive use of pesticides degrade soil quality, reducing the soil's capacity to retain water and carbon.
Progressive climate change, in turn, leads to drastically altered weather patterns and an increase in climate disasters. Since cocoa trees in conventional cultivation exhibit significantly lower resilience, crop failures are already occurring, while yields in regenerative cultivation methods such as DAF are hardly affected because the plants are healthier and highly resilient.

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 the
Biomass storage in the soil (fairafric) saves up to 4x more CO2 in the long term.
soil can store more than is emitted in the entire value chain.

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

2. Income diversification
Growing several crops helps to diversify income and makes it possible to generate income even outside of the cocoa harvest season.

3. Improved soil quality & resilience to climate change
By improving soil fertility and providing other benefits, DAF makes plants significantly stronger and more resistant to environmental influences. Furthermore, improved soil quality increases the quality and yield of the fruit. This allows for long-term, sustainable, and natural cultivation of the land.

With our new Visitor Center, we want to give our customers the opportunity to gain an in-depth look at our operations. The factory tour is combined with a visit to our farmers' communities, all in one day! A unique experience worldwide!