Green & Black's

Green & Black's Community Development Programme in Association with Raleigh International

Raleigh International is delighted to be working in partnership with Green & Black's, a brand that shares our passion for working in partnership with rural communities to help identify and create sustainable community, environment and development projects.

The Green & Black's Community Development Programme was set up to empower Fairtrade cocoa farmers in the Dominican Republic to improve community facilities and add real benefit to their lives.

The farmers receive funds via the Green & Black's Fairtrade premium which is spent on sustainability initiatives which include improving quality, yields and education. This in turn will increase income for farmers, ensure the cocoa industry becomes more sustainable and secure the supply of high quality organic cocoa beans to support the brand's growth internationally.

Green & Black's gave the opportunity to its consumers from the UK and USA to win a place on an expedition team to install a gravity-fed water system into a rural farming community in the Dominican Republic to provide the community with access to clean drinking water.

In April 2011 a team consisting of the Green & Blacks competition winners, Green & Black's staff, local co-operative farmers and Raleigh staff worked on the installation of the water system.

The expedition team lived in the homes of, and worked alongside members of the local community, digging trenches and laying pipes that will bring water to three separate communities.

Not only have the community benefitted from the project, but individuals have had the opportunity to experience first-hand the challenges faced by organic co-operative farmers and how Fairtrade business practices benefit them.

Neil La Croix, Head of Sustainable Supply Chain at Green & Black's explains:

"Our philosophy has always been to invest in projects to benefit the farmers we buy cocoa from to help them reach their earning potential and to secure our cocoa supply.

"This gravity-fed water system project is a great opportunity for us to invite like-minded people to join the team and make a real difference to the lives of the farmers in the Dominican Republic."

Raleigh International is proud to be working with Green & Black's who have such commitment to empowering agricultural communities through sustainable social programmes. We're looking forward to continue working with Green & Black's to continue the positive work that the first team has started.

For further information about this project, or for any enquires about Raleigh's work with companies please contact;

Teresa Fitzgerald

Head of Development

t.fitzgerald@raleighinternational.org

0207 183 1270

or

Adam Scott

Account Executive

a.scott@raleighinternational.org

0207 183 1278