The Hershey Company wins P3 Impact Award for its CocoaLink mobile program in Ghana. This program aims to provide a free and two-way information exchange between cocoa experts and cocoa farmers in Ghana. Cocoa experts send weekly messages on planting, pruning, and fertilizer use to local farmers who have signed up for Cocoalink. An independent study shows that this program “significantly improved the behavior and livelihoods” of cocoa farmers. Farmers enrolled in Cocoalink increased their yields by 45.6% in three years.

I am delighted to see that Hershey is making efforts to create societal benefits by improving cocoa farmers’ working and living conditions. By embarking on shared value initiatives, Hershey is able to address social issues and fulfill societal needs while achieving an economic growth. The success of a chocolate company is largely depended on the quality and efficiency of the cocoa production. The Cocoalink program gives farmers helpful farming tips and enables local cluster development. With the assistance of this program, farmers will have more professional knowledge for producing high-quality cocoa. According to “Creating Shared Value” by Harvard Business Review, we can see that “as suppliers get stronger, their environmental impact often fails dramatically, which further improves their efficiency.” As a result, the Hershey Company’s shared value is developed, bringing substantial benefits to economy, society, and environment.