Acumen, a global nonprofit impact investor, has debuted a Valentine’s Day campaign urging chocolate lovers to “Make a #Cocoamitment” by choosing chocolate brands that support fair wages for cocoa farmers.

The Cocoamitment campaign invites consumers to think twice when they choose their chocolate and shares tips on what terms buyers should look for on their chocolate bars, like “bean-to-bar,” “tree-to-bar,” “farmer-owned,” “direct trade,” “single origin,” or “price premium.”

The global chocolate industry is valued at nearly $120 billion, yet many cocoa farmers live in extreme poverty and climate vulnerable areas, typically earning less than $2.15 per day—unable to adapt to more frequent and severe droughts that in many cases dramatically impact cocoa crop yields. 

“Cocoa farmer pay is inextricably linked to the cocoa crisis,” says Alexandra Gordon, chief communications and marketing officer at Acumen. “Valentine’s Day is a key moment for the chocolate industry, so we want to encourage consumers to make more conscious choices. This campaign highlights some of the cocoa companies we invest in that are creating a fairer future for farmers.”

The average American eats about 19.8 pounds of chocolate a year, equivalent to three chocolate bars per week. Yet, for the fourth year in a row, in 2024, the cocoa market failed to meet demand, with an average deficit of 6%. 

The future of chocolate depends on supply chain changes that ensure smallholder cocoa farmers earn decent wages and can afford to adapt to climate change. With chocolate sales expected to skyrocket this February, Acumen’s Cocoamitment campaign aims to shine a spotlight on the farmers that grow the cocoa in our chocolate bars, and the innovative companies ensuring farmers are paid fairly.

Beyond Good, a company featured in the campaign, has a direct sourcing model that removes middlemen and allows farmers to earn a thriving wage through sustainable farming practices. Farmers like Lalatiana, one of the 963 farmers Beyond Good partners within Madagascar and Uganda, earn five to six times more than if they sold their cocoa through conventional trading. 

Acumen is working with its investees and partners to promote chocolate brands that exemplify transparency and fairness through practices like direct trade, farmer ownership, and paying price premiums to farmers. Brands featured in the campaign include:

• Cacao Hunters and Beyond Good (Acumen and their Resilient Agriculture Fund investees)
• Buyers of Acumen investee Uncommon Cacao, including Fruition Chocolate Works, Markham & Fitz, Spinnaker Chocolate, and Ethereal Confections

“We believe consumers hold a lot of power when it comes to valuing traceability and quality in cocoa and chocolate—just as they did with coffee,” says Cacao Hunters co-Founder Carlos Velasco. “While chocolate lags behind, consumer demand for quality can drive the industry forward.”

For more information about the Cocoamitment campaign, including a list of participating brands and where to buy them, click here.

Related: Hershey signs agreement with cocoa cooperatives