NCGA Helps Raise $40K for Cocoa Co-ops

The National Cooperative Grocers Association has donated $41,076 to cocoa co-ops in Ecuador and Peru, through sales of limited edition “International Year of Co-ops” chocolate bars.

The bars were made in partnership with Theo Chocolate and sold in food co-ops this fall.

The donation will directly support the co-ops that produced cocoa for the bars: Fortaleza del Valle cocoa cooperative in Ecuador and the CEPICAFE cocoa cooperative in Peru. Funds will be used to address a variety of community needs, including governance, health and education, empowering farmers, and quality and yield improvements.

“We're proud to celebrate the International Year of Cooperatives with our members and shoppers, and thrilled to support these farmer co-ops who are working to provide living wages and promote the health of our planet through organic growing practices,” said Robynn Shrader, CEO of NCGA.

The chocolate bars are organic and Fair Trade certified, and come in 85 percent dark and 45 percent milk chocolate varieties.

Founded in 1999, Iowa City, Iowa-based National Cooperative Grocers Association is a business services cooperative for retail food co-ops located throughout the United States.