In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Divine – the chocolate brand started and still co-owned by farmers – has announced its collaboration with radio broadcaster and TV presenter, Clara Amfo
In her role as brand ambassador, Clara will be curating a quarterly digest of recommendations, designed to encourage people to do things differently. From exhibitions and podcast recommendations to places to shop and events to attend, ‘The Divine Curates’ series will reveal Clara’s key cultural picks for the summer.
On a mission to fight exploitation, Divine has been doing things differently in the chocolate industry since it created its first bar in 1998. Proud to be the first and only Fairtrade chocolate company co-owned by farmers, Divine has always worked tirelessly to improve the lives of cocoa farmers and their families. Whether that’s through sharing distributable profits with farmer owners, ensuring their voices are heard with seats on the Divine board or through community programmes.
Being of Ghanian heritage and learning from family members with first-hand experience of the cocoa industry, Clara has a passionate curiosity about the mass production of chocolate and wants to shine a light on the untold effects of poverty and exploitation. Divine’s commitment to supporting communities through initiatives such as upskilling women and improving labour rights in the cocoa industry is reflective of Amfo’s own ambitions.
“When a brand goes beyond just purchasing cocoa and wants to thoroughly engage with the communities at the heart of the production, it really sets them apart from others,” Amfo said. “That’s something that Divine has done differently since its inception, and the Divine Curates series is a joyful extension of this. I hope chocolate lovers across the country will join us on our journey to do things differently!”
Sophie Loveday-Davies, marketing director at Divine, said: “Our key purpose at Divine
has been to encourage a new way of thinking around the chocolate industry. We’re fortunate to have found in Clara a partner who not only shares our ambitions, but also has experience and knowledge of the challenges within the cocoa industry. The Divine Curates series will be a powerful reminder of the importance of opening our mind to new experiences and ways of thinking, and the opportunities which doing so can hold.”
