GHANA: Lindt chocolate company finances 69,000 solar kits for cocoa farmers
20 Aug 2021

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Swiss company Lindt & Sprüngli AG is financing the installation of 69,000 solar lighting kits in cocoa farmers’ households in 50 districts in Ghana. The solar lamps are distributed by Namene Solar.

Lindt & Sprüngli AG, the manufacturer of the famous Lindt chocolate brand, is involved in rural development in Ghana. As part of its agricultural programme, which has been running in this West African country since 2008, the group is starting to distribute 69,000 solar kits. This work is being carried out on the ground by Namene Solar, a London-based company operating in several African countries, including Ghana.

Lindt & Sprüngli’s interest in Ghanaian farmers is far from trivial. These farmers cultivate small plots of 2 to 3 hectares with cocoa trees. Their cocoa bean crops make up the majority of the country’s production. And Ghana is the second largest exporter, with an average production of 800,000 tonnes per year, behind the leading producer, Ivory Coast. The Swiss chocolate maker, which has a turnover of 4.6 billion dollars (2018), imports most of the beans processed in its factories in Ghana.