Bali

Our cocoa beans from Bali come from Kerta Semaya Samaniya (KSS), a cooperative based in Jembrana in the west of the island. Founded in 2006, KSS brings together hundreds of cocoa farmers organised in traditional farming groups known as Subak Abian. Since 2011, the cooperative has worked closely with local organisation Kalimajari to promote sustainable cocoa farming, improve quality and create better opportunities for local farming communities.

Women’s empowerment plays an important role in this work. Although women have traditionally carried out much of the work on cocoa farms, they were often regarded merely as helpers. Training programmes provide women with knowledge of sustainable farming practices and post-harvest processing, while also enabling them to pass their expertise on to other female farmers. Today, women can become members of the cooperative themselves and sell their cocoa directly through KSS, giving them greater transparency and more control over their own income.