Partial-proceeds programme will make clean drinking water possible for rural cocoa-growing communities
Canada’s favourite chocolatier is proud to launch the Clean Water Project Bar, an 85 g milk chocolate and salted butter toffee bar available across Canada and online. Purdys has joined forces with the Swiss-based Cocoa Horizons Foundation to help make safe drinking water a reality in Ivory Coast cocoa communities, with C$2 from each bar sale going to fund a community development project focused on water hygiene training and the purchase of 35 water filtration systems.
Supporting the communities where Purdys’ farmer partners and their families live is one of two pillars of Purdys’ Sustainable Cocoa Programme, established in 2014.
“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with the Cocoa Horizons Foundation and spearhead this special campaign that will provide over 1,500 primary school children access to clean, safe water. The Clean Water Project Water Bar is just the beginning for us and a tangible way for our customers to contribute towards making clean water a reality in cocoa farming communities. Our partners on the ground will implement a 4-month programme beginning later this summer which will deliver and implement critical LifeStraw water filtration technology and WASH training,” said Peter Higgins, Purdys President and Chocolate Scientist.
Purdys launched their Sustainable Cocoa Program in 2014 to help support their farmer partners, cocoa co-ops and communities across the world. Through the purchase of premium sustainable cocoa — everything crafted at Purdys Chocolatier is made with only 100% sustainable cocoa — Purdys has helped support numerous Cocoa Horizons Foundation initiatives.
The Clean Water Project campaign is the first product-specific sustainability campaign for the organization that addresses a specific community need, and the first time Purdys has placed a partial-proceeds product on shelves across Canada in its 110-year history.
“The Cocoa Horizons Foundation relies on the support of partners such as Purdys to enable the improvement of cocoa farmers’ livelihoods in the communities where we have programs,” said Michael Schlup, General Manager, Cocoa Horizons Foundation. “By bringing partners together, we can better scale impact and drive change in cocoa, to lift farmers out of poverty and enable a sustainable chocolate industry.”
