The world of cocoa in Cameroon has adopted the charter of the club of committed chocolatiers, and Sigôji adheres to it

Michel MOTTE

Soon, six years ago, a chocolate factory was born in Schaltin, in the town of Hamois. His name: Sigōji. At its head, a lady from Cameroon, Euphrasie Mpamba, mother of two children, wife of an Anthean native. After a stint in the European Community and in education, she decided to turn to chocolate. It must be said that at the Community, she translated texts relating to cocoa. In addition, her grandfather was a cocoa farmer in Cameroon and when she was small, she wondered why he brought beans to the market and returned without them. Since then, she has known that he traded them with wholesalers who sent them to Europe where they would become chocolate

Precisely: did the price offered by these wholesalers guarantee the producer a decent living? Not sure Not sure at all, according to Euphrasie Mpamba. Moreover, this is often the case and doesn't the producer, whether he is of cocoa, coffee, cotton or meat and milk here, earn much less than intermediaries?

Chocolate day

In six years, the chocolate maker has developed her business quite a bit. She was well aware of the situation of producers and thought about how to see their future change.

A French chocolate maker, Christophe Bertrand, shared the same thoughts and just launched a Club of Committed Chocolatiers last May, an idea that came true after tasting cocoa beans from Cameroon sent to him by a farmer from the country.

Pleasantly surprised, both in terms of commitment and quality, by the products he tasted, he went there and noted the reigning poverty. The club project was born, especially as he also learned that the purchase price of beans was far from what one might have thought. With a colleague he started the club

Now, the president (she prefers to carry the flag) of the club in Belgium is none other than the boss of Sigôji. And La Condruzienne chose Chocolate Day on October 1 to present the project. From now on, for her, like the other chocolate makers involved, traceability is becoming a key issue

At present, a dozen have approved the charter. Through this, the members of the club undertake to support the approach in order to promote sustainable cocoa in Belgium and in the world, by buying and using the raw material obtained from the production of partner cooperatives.

In addition to this charter, the guarantee of environmental responsibilities and employee savings are also included. Consequences: on the one hand, beans are bought at twice the price of the past, on the other hand the planter receives a bonus depending on sales. And to be certain of traceability, the beans must be certified as committed chocolatiers and the acronym must appear on the bags. Euphrasie Mpamba is certain that committed chocolate can change the world for planters

The club wants to expand to other countries, and that's normal.