OUR
ORGANIZATION
The TogetherCocoa Foundation is registered in Geneva with a team based in West Africa supported by leading sector experts and partners.
OUR FOUNDATION
TogetherCocoa is a not-for-profit foundation, incorporated in Geneva, Switzerland.
TogetherCocoa was founded by five leading confectionery companies — the Hershey Company, Lindt & Sprüngli, Mars, Mondelēz International, and Nestlé. Drawing on their experience with programs in cocoa communities – and deep knowledge exchange with governments and local stakeholders – they came together with a shared conviction: that the structural challenges facing cocoa-farming families cannot be solved company by company, and that collective action, done well, can achieve what individual efforts cannot.
Each founding company has committed initial funding to support the Foundation through its pilot stage, running from 2026 to 2029. Through the Foundation, they strive to set a higher standard of ambition, going beyond their respective standalone programs.
In this stage, we will test and learn, implementing programs aimed at helping to raise cocoa-farming families’ incomes in pilot regions in Côte d’Ivoire, and later expansion to Ghana. If this proof of concept is successful, the Foundation aims to open participation to all interested parties from the industry from 2030.
OUR GOVERNANCE
The Foundation is governed by the Board, composed of representatives from the five founding companies. Board members serve in an individual capacity — not as corporate representatives. The governance structure is designed to expand over time, with provision for additional members in the future.
Day-to-day operations are led by a CEO, who reports to the Foundation Board, supported by a dedicated management team. The management team is based primarily in Côte d’Ivoire and will later be in Ghana, so that operational decisions are made close to where the work happens.
The Foundation is supervised by the Swiss Foundation Supervisory Authority and subject to independent external audit each year.
An Advisory Group is planned for the future, bringing in civil society organizations, farmer organizations, development partners, and more voices to support the Foundation’s mission and strengthen accountability to the communities we serve.
OUR GOALS
four goals define what the Foundation is working towards, and how we will measure success.
Contribute to reducing the living income gap for cocoa-farming families.
Help improve the welfare of cocoa-farming families and communities.
Foster a more resilient and sustainable supply of cocoa.
Help create a resilient cocoa ecosystem by partnering with industry and other stakeholders, and collaborating with the governments of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
OUR TEAM
Our team is taking shape – meet the first members of the Team
Mariam Djibo
Chief Executive Officer
Jean-Marie Delon
Managing Director Côte D’Ivoire
Kasey Hooper
Strategic Advisor
Camara Kingoun
Lead Agronomist