There’s only one thing better than solar power and that’s chocolate. Maybe. Combine the two though and it has to be the best thing in the entire universe. Ever.
Cadbury Cocoa Partnership is providing thousands of solar lanterns to cocoa farmers in Ghana and installing solar power systems on the rooftops of 22 Ghana schools.
10,000 solar lanterns, valued at approximately $600,000, are to be sent to cocoa growing communities in the Western, Brong Ahafo, Ashanti and Eastern regions says Ghana news site, GraphicGhana.
Cadbury will also supply solar panels to two medical clinics and three food-processing units would also be powered by solar energy courtesy of the company.
Managing Director of Cadbury Ghana, Mr James Boateng, said the $780,000 solar project was part of a larger effort on Cadbury’s part to help address social, economic and environmental issues in cocoa growing communities, “so that livelihoods will improve, while we help secure sustainable cocoa supplies for Ghana and our company”.
Other Cadbury sustainability projects include the The Cadbury Purple Goes Green initiative launched in July 2007. Its targets include a 50% reduction in the companies carbon emissions by 2020, a 10% reduction in general packaging and a more aggressive target of 25% for seasonal and gift ranges. Cadbury is also aiming for 60% biodegradable packaging.
Producing chocolate is thirsty work, so all ‘water scarce’ sites have water reduction programmes in place. Cadbury’s Huntingwood facility in Australia received a Sydney Water Innovation Award for introducing waterless lubrication in its production, which has now been introduced across 12 lines in Australia and New Zealand, saving tens of millions of litres of water annually. Between 2006 and 2007, the company reduced consumption of water by 10%.
By the end of 2007, Cadbury says it had reduced its carbon emissions by 3% compared to 2006 and an estimated a 10% by 2010.
