Divine Chocolate, the Fairtrade business part-owned by the Ghanaian cocoa farmers' co-operative Kuapa Kokoo, has been named Best Social Enterprise of 2007.

The annual Enterprising Solutions Awards, organised by the Social Enterprise Coalition, are designed to find the UK's most dynamic and innovative businesses that trade for a social purpose. "Divine Chocolate is a wonderful example of how business principles can be used to create lasting social change and a worthy winner of ESA2007," said Jonathan Bland, chief executive of the Social Enterprise Coalition.

Divine Chocolate Ltd is now a £10 million business, 45% of which is owned by the Ghanaian farmers who supply the Fairtrade cocoa. The company was established in 1998 a year after the farmers had voted at their AGM to set up their own chocolate company in the UK and make sure they could benefit from the value of the chocolate market.

Sophi Tranchell, Managing Director of Divine Chocolate, led praise for the farmers of Kuapa Kokoo, "who have created a thriving democratically run co-operative with 45,000 members – no mean feat in a country largely without running water let alone broadband!"

More information
www.divinechocolate.com