MIA marks World Confectionery Award with global release for its Ghana Gold chocolate series

Ethical chocolate brand MIA, short for made in Africa, has celebrated after being name winner of the Sustainability Award at the 2022 World Confectionery Conference (WCC).

Hosted in Brussels, Belgium, earlier this month, the event brought confectionery companies big and small together to share trends, discuss challenges and provide updates on the state of the industry, across the sector’s value chain.

The event’s debut awards attracted strong interest from businesses across the world, from small start-ups, through to well-established brands, all creating a high level of competition for the accolades – which this year included a total of five categories.

For its part, MIA, which was founded on a highly sustainable model of farming cocoa and producing chocolate directly in Madagascar, has been recognised at the awards ceremony as part of the World Confectionery Conference, for the development of an ethical bean-to-bar supply chain in Ghana.

As the company explained, thanks to  adding value beyond the cocoa farm gate, according to MIA the brand will generate more than two times the economic value of cocoa export while supporting skilled jobs in Ghana.

MIA co-founder Brett Beach explained the significance of the award: “Receiving the Sustainability Award from such an important industry event as the World Confectionery Conference is a real boost for the people who work so hard in the bean-to-bar supply chain in Ghana. The award recognises the value of taking a new approach to value-added production and helps put Africa on the map as a maker of premium chocolate after so long playing the support role of cocoa supplier.”

When presenting the award, conference host and Confectionery Production editor Neill Barston (right of main image, photographed with Brett Beach gaining his accolade) explained why MIA was selected for the Sustainability Award, noting its considerable contribution to helping support enterprise within key cocoa growing communities.

He said: “Made from start to finish in Ghana, the Ghana Gold range will benefit Fairtrade cocoa farmers from the ABOCFA cooperative in the Suhum region, a chocolate making team in Tema, box production and cashew farmers in the north of the country. MIA will pay 150% of the Fairtrade cocoa premium and will have an overall impact that is more than twice the value of cocoa export. In addition to adding value in Ghana, MIA will help change perceptions of Africa’s place in the world of chocolate confectionery.”

As the company confirmed, the range of Ghana Gold chocolate bars will hit the market this autumn with orders going to the UK, Sweden, Germany,the USA, and China.

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