Cocoa For Good

Why it matters

Every day millions of farmers in West Africa support their families and communities by growing the cocoa that goes into delicious Hershey products. They are the people behind some of our most iconic treats, so we want to help them overcome the biggest issues they face. And the pressure isn’t just on people—farming is placing strain on local environments where cocoa is grown.

Supporting our cocoa communities is more than an investment—it’s about enabling lasting and systemic change. Hershey aims to enable people and strengthen businesses and infrastructure to support sustainable livelihoods for farmers, families and communities.

How we do it

Launched in 2018, our Cocoa For Good Strategy continues Hershey’s work in cocoa with a focus on addressing poor nutrition, poverty, at-risk youth and vulnerable ecosystems. Our strategy is backed by our commitment to invest $500 million in our cocoa communities by 2030. Cocoa For Good’s four pillars are interconnected and all are key to helping build sustainable livelihoods and economic resilience for cocoa growing families and communities.

• Nourishing Children gives children the tools to reach their full potential, including better nutrition at school and improved quality of education.
• Empowering Youth works with communities to combat child labor and supports youth to become tomorrow’s leaders by equipping them with life and business skills as well as access to resources to create successful futures
• Prospering Communities provides training and financial support to cocoa farmers and their families so they can grow their business, stabilize their household income and economically empower women.
• Preserving Ecosystems works closely with farmers and communities to protect forests, spread more environmentally responsible agricultural practices and promote agroforestry and shade-grown cocoa to eliminate deforestation in cocoa communities.

We worked with various stakeholders to select the key performance indicators under Cocoa For Good that will measure the impact of our pillar programs and all our data is verified by third parties.

Read more in Hershey's 2018 Sustainability Report.

About The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company is headquartered in Hershey, Pa., and is an industry-leading snacks company known for bringing goodness to the world through its iconic brands, remarkable people and enduring commitment to help children succeed. Hershey has approximately 16,500 employees around the world who work every day to deliver delicious, quality products. The company has more than 80 brands around the world that drive $8 billion in annual revenues, including such iconic brand names as Hershey’s, Reese’s, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher, Ice Breakers, SkinnyPop and Pirate’s Booty.

For more than 125 years, Hershey has been committed to operating fairly, ethically and sustainably. Hershey founder, Milton Hershey, created the Milton Hershey School in 1909 and since then the company has focused on helping children succeed.

To learn more visit www.thehersheycompany.com