About

The World Cocoa Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2000 for the purpose of promoting social and economic development as well as environmental stewardship in cocoa-growing communities. The foundation is a membership-based organization with approximately 70 member companies involved in the cocoa and chocolate industries around the world, representing over 80% of the global market. Through their financial support and technical expertise, WCF’s member companies play an important role in the foundation’s work.

The WCF works through public-private partnerships that bring together donors, industry members, producing country governments, research institutes and non-governmental organizations to achieve its goals. WCF can serve as a facilitator, financial contributor, technical advisor or manager of such partnerships. The foundation is based in Washington, DC and supports programs that benefit farmers in cocoa-growing regions of Africa, Southeast Asia and the Americas. Specific program activities include training for farmers and communities as well as applied scientific research.

The foundation supports programs that work with farmers on a pre-competitive basis, prior to sale or commercialization of their cocoa. In this way, the programs provide farmers with the skills they need to operate productive farms and make sound business decisions. WCF maintains a neutral position on sustainability-related standards or product certification programs, and does not engage in commercial transactions.