The chocolate bar building peace in Colombia

27th June, 2019 – Choco4Peace, a social initiative using blockchain for good, today announces its global launch and the unveiling of its crowdfunding campaign.

Its goal is to support ex-cocaine producers and war victims in post-conflict regions of Colombia to transition to producing cacao. The initiative aims to break the vicious cycle of cocaine production, enabling farmers to lift themselves out of poverty by providing them with access to international markets, finance, and technology.

This is where blockchain comes in. The technology can connect cacao farmers in Colombia with global markets and investors in a transparent, traceable manner. Consumers and producers alike can trace the origin of the cacao in their chocolate back to the farms where it was produced, and also measure the socioeconomic and environmental impacts, in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“Being Colombian originally, I have seen the repercussions of the violence caused by cocaine production and trafficking. Despite benefits available from the Colombian government to substitute coca for productive crops like cacao, most farmers still find themselves living below the poverty line. Through Choco4Peace, we hope to rebuild lives of those affected with dignity,” says Sergio Figueredo, Choco4Peace’s Executive Director.

The organisation has launched a global crowdfunding campaign, where individuals and businesses can purchase Choco4Peace’s first chocolate bars in cooperation with a well-known chocolate producer.

“This project is just the first step. Problems with drug trafficking and farming extend beyond Colombia, just as the potential for our platform extends beyond cacao. Looking ahead, we will be targeting other regions, and other farming products” concludes Matt Whiteman, Partnership and Growth Manager at Choco4Peace.