“Investing in farmers means investing in the future of chocolate”Alterfin supports Bite to Fight

We spoke with Julien Tayoro N’guessan, Bite to Fight project manager in Côte d’Ivoire, and Caterina Giordano, Chief Impact Officer at Alterfin.

"Ensuring that producers receive a fair price for their work means investing in their future – and therefore in the future of chocolate itself."

What is the goal of Bite to Fight?

Julien Tayoro N’guessan:

Côte d’Ivoire accounts for around 40% of the world's cocoa production. Yet many cocoa farmers still struggle to make a living because most of the value created in the sector is captured elsewhere.

With Bite to Fight, we want to show that it is possible to produce chocolate while ensuring farmers earn a living income and while protecting the environment.

One of our priorities is keeping children in school. Poverty in the cocoa sector often forces families to rely on child labour or withdraw children from education to help on the farm.

A second priority is supporting women’s entrepreneurship. When women have access to resources and opportunities, the benefits extend far beyond the individual. Women play a transformative role within their families and communities. Through village savings groups, the project currently reaches around 300 women.

Environmental sustainability is another key pillar. Since 2020, we have been working to reduce the use of pesticides and other chemical inputs. Since 2022, many farmers have adopted more ecological farming practices and agroforestry systems.

Finally, we support farmers in diversifying their sources of income, helping them reduce their dependence on cocoa alone.

What message is Alterfin conveying through this campaign?

Caterina Giordano:

We want to show that fairer cocoa can only be built through the combined efforts of everyone in the value chain.

There are cooperatives such as CPR Canaan, which purchase cocoa directly from farmers. There are larger cooperative networks such as Ecookim, whose scale helps attract investment and international buyers.

There are organisations like Alterfin, whose co-op members provide the long-term financing these organisations need to grow and strengthen their impact.

And there are organisations like Oxfam, which works through Bite to Fight to advance living incomes and raise consumer awareness.

What concrete impact has Bite to Fight had on the farmers involved?

"The share of households reaching a living income has increased from 11% to 74%."

Julien Tayoro N'guessan:

Among the farmers participating in the project, the share of households reaching a living income has increased from 11% to 74%.

Yields per hectare have also improved significantly thanks to the financing and technical support provided through the project.

The premiums paid to farmers have helped fund community initiatives, including a hydraulic water pump, the renovation of a local school, and women’s savings groups.

Let’s be honest: this is still a small-scale project. Our objective was to demonstrate what is possible and to show the impact that can be achieved with 100 farming households. By doing so, we hope to inspire larger actors throughout the cocoa value chain.

Alterfin measures impact at the level of its own partners, including Ecookim, the cooperative network to which Canaan belongs. What can we say about that impact?

"Families become more stable, more resilient, and better able to plan for the future."

‍Caterina Giordano:

‍Oxfam shows the difference Bite to Fight makes in the lives of the farmers and families directly involved in the project.

Alterfin, meanwhile, can demonstrate the impact of its long-term financing relationship with Ecookim, which we have supported since 2011. Ecookim brings together cooperatives such as CPR Canaan, giving them greater strength and negotiating power within the cocoa sector.

Our loans are tailored to the realities of the agricultural cycle. They enable Ecookim and its member cooperatives to finance the season, purchase harvests at the right time, and support farmers over the long term.

Our impact study shows that this model improves lives. Families become more stable, more resilient, and better able to plan for the future.

What message would you like to send to chocolate consumers?

"Farmers must be able to earn a decent living and invest in their farms."

Julien Tayoro N'guessan:

‍We would all like our children to be able to enjoy chocolate in the future. But climate change is increasingly affecting cocoa production, and many farmers are becoming discouraged.

If we want the sector to have a future, farmers must be able to earn a decent living and invest in their farms. Ensuring that producers receive a fair price for their work means investing in their future – and therefore in the future of chocolate itself.

"[The farmers] should be able to build a dignified life from their work."

‍Caterina Giordano:

‍Support our Bite to Fight campaign.

Cocoa farmers give everything they have to their farms. They should not have to struggle from one season to the next. They should be able to build a dignified life from their work.

And the fact that achieving something so fundamental still requires a fight says a great deal about how much remains to be done.