our purpose
Whether they live in a European city or a West African village, young people face major challenges that make their future uncertain. Yet they have never been as entrepreneurial as they are today: in France, nearly 40% of business owners are under the age of 30 (INSEE).
Young people have great entrepreneurship and try to innovate all around the world to contribute to the world’s changes, especially considering the global warming and the social inequalities they are facing. There are 1.8 billion young people aged between 10 to 24 on our planet: the largest generation of young people in our history (United Nations).
But how can we help them to plan and act for a fairer and a more sustainable future? How can we inspire them to go further?
What if cocoa could help young people? What if behind every bean was an opportunity for them?
- An opportunity for cocoa-producing countries in the Equatorial Belt, to promote and develop local gastronomy and culture through the passion for cocoa. Preparing the next generation is happening now, considering the average age of cocoa farmers at 55 all around the world.
- An opportunity to reinforce the transmission of our know-how and encourage vocations in consumer countries. The chocolatier, the pastry chef and the baker trades are struggling to renew their generation. In France, to date, there are almost 10,000 vacancies.
- An opportunity to offer a sustainable future respectful of our planet to the next generation. Cocoa farming must be thought of as regenerative! Today, deforestation and global warming are drastically changing landscapes, reducing the areas suitable for cultivation. Producers must therefore adapt and reconcile traditional practices with new uses. Learning and transmission must be intergenerational.
Our mission: to strengthen capacity for action and intergenerational links at the service of our common future
As a pioneer and a chocolate expert, Valrhona has been committed to local and international philanthropic actions since 2006. Since 2019, it is through its Valrhona Foundation that all stakeholders act together: employees, customers, partners, etc.
Our cause: giving next generation the taste of the future
Since 2019, the Valrhona Foundation has supported more than 21 projects in 7 countries. These actions represent over 1.3 million euros of support, impacting around 27,000 beneficiaries.
Our values: responsibility, innovation, inclusion
- Responsibility: make the industry more desirable and sustainable
- Innovation: new agricultural practices and strong local gastronomies
- Inclusion: open up our trades to everyone by combining know-how and interpersonal skills.
Tomorrow, we need your help to make a greater impact through 3 ambitions
- Passion: develop passion at the heart of local communities. We want to make the cocoa business more accessible and desirable through new intergenerational initiatives.
- Transmission: strengthen the transmission of our know-how to the most excluded people. Convinced that chocolate has a promising future, we want to help young people far from employment.
- Planet: accelerate the ecological transition and contribute to the preservation of our planet. We want to empower young producers and engineers towards sustainable cocoa farming.
To support our ambitions, we aim to raise 1 million euros by 2027. We also want to bring together the first 30 committed stakeholders by our side.
This fundraising will be carried out through our endowment fund, a non-profit organization that finances and supports projects of general interest. Companies, foundations, individuals – you can all contribute!
Join the ones already engaged by our side
Whether you are a craftsman, an enthusiast, a committed distributor or a chocolate lover, you can contribute to the future of young people and our exceptional industry.
Together, let’s give next generation a taste of the future!