The Hershey Company purchases cocoa from nearly 50 different producers, exporters and processors around the world. We interact directly with many of these business partners regarding their sustainability programs, visiting cocoa farms and cooperatives in West Africa, Asia and Latin America both to share our goals and to encourage their efforts. These programs include farmer organization development and capacity building, community sensitization regarding responsible labor practices, and farmer skills training focused on productivity and income improvement.

Dagoba Organic Chocolate and Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, part of Hershey's Artisan Confections subsidiary, seek to source cocoa directly from growers. These partnerships ensure high-quality cocoa while supporting social and environmental stewardship. Dagoba products also use organic cocoa, with a portion being Fair Trade Certified™.

The Hershey Company, drawing on the premium expertise of its Artisan Confections subsidiary, and Starbucks Coffee Company are working together to develop and market a new Starbucks-branded premium chocolate platform in the United States. The Hershey Company is piloting and implementing Cocoa Practices, Starbucks sustainable cocoa purchasing guidelines for Starbucks-branded products. These guidelines are designed to encourage best practices in cocoa production among farmers, processors and exporters. Working together, the two companies aim to evaluate, identify and support producers of quality, sustainably grown cocoa.

The International Foundation for Education & Self-Help (IFESH), through a multi-year grant from The Hershey Company and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is improving teaching skills and expanding access to education for thousands of young people in Ghana and the Ivory Coast.

Through Dagoba, The Hershey Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Dominican Republic growers. This provides cocoa producers, who must uphold sustainable farming practices, with affordable credit through local banks, along with purchasing agreements for high-quality cocoa and technical assistance.