Helping to change the lives of cocoa farmers

There are over 5 million cocoa farmers around the world and the majority live in poverty. Barry Callebaut is the biggest producer of cocoa in the world. So it’s in Barry Callebaut’s interest to improve the lives of cocoa farmers to ensure a sustainable supply of cocoa for years to come. Using its scale and experience, Barry Callebaut created the Cocoa Horizons Foundation, a charity with the sole purpose of improving the lives of cocoa farmers, their communities and the environment.

We wanted the audience to understand the tangible impact that working with the Cocoa Horizons Foundation can have. So we decided to tell the story of a cocoa farmer called Luke. The animation starts in the future, painting a picture of what a prosperous cocoa growing community looks like. But then the narrative comes back to the present day to show the hardships that cocoa farmers like Luke face. The story finally moves on to show how the Cocoa Horizons Foundation is working with farmers to improve their livelihoods. Inspired by Ivorian art, we developed a unique style of animation, showing the bigger picture through a series of animated, interlocking frames.

The animation has been used as a key communications tool for Barry Callebaut to help explain the purpose of the Cocoa Horizons Foundation. It has also been a useful tool for the sales and marketing team, to help their customers see the impact that buying sustainable cocoa can have. The animation also sits of the Cocoa Horizons website to help set the scene for visitors.