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AWA BY MAGNUM
Our Cocoa Impact Work
Since 2012, we have been committed to increasing transparency in our cocoa sourcing and to strengthening social and economic opportunities for women in cocoa‑farming communities in Côte d’Ivoire. A key element of this work was improving the visibility of where our cocoa originated. Strengthening traceability enabled us to source cocoa that was Rainforest Alliance Certified and helped us identify 35 cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire that participated in our wider impact programmes.
Women play an essential role in cocoa farming communities in Côte d’Ivoire. Because the main farming season lasts only part of the year, our programmes farming communities in Côte d’Ivoire. Because the main farming season lasts only part of the year, our programmes aimed to provide more consistent support by helping women diversify potential sources of income and increase their economic participation throughout the year.
AWA BY MAGNUM
In 2022, we launched AWA by Magnum, an initiative designed to support women in cocoa farming communities in Côte d’Ivoire socially and economically. Through the social infrastructures of Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), the program provided financial and entrepreneurial training opportunities and access to financial resources, helping participants explore complementary income generating activities and empowering farming communities in Côte d’Ivoire socially and economically.
As part of our broader cocoa impact efforts, we invested €25M with a focus on initiatives supporting women, recognizing the important role they play within their families and communities. Working through our supply chain-chain partners, we collaborated with NGOs, including CARE International and 100WEEKS, to provide training, financial literacy support, and resources aimed at strengthening business capabilities and income diversification.
By early 2026, the AWA programme had reached 4.1000 women in cocoa farming farming farming communities, contributing to improving their livelihoods, increasing their self-confidence and greater community engagement. Although this specific programme has been completed, we will continue exploring opportunities to collaborate with our partners to expand and strengthen cocoa impact initiatives in the future.
WHO IS AWA?
We wanted to highlight the many women who participated in our programmes. Using advanced 3D digital mapping technology, we created AWA, a digital representation inspired by women in our cocoa farming farming communities.
AWA was developed using portrait data from 128 women who took part in the programme. Her appearance and movement reflect the collective features contributed by them. These women were the programme’s strongest ambassadors, and AWA was created to represent and celebrate them as a group.
Through AWA, we shared stories from participants and highlighted some of the progress they achieved throughout the programme.
The name AWA is a widely used name across West Africa. It is traditionally associated with the name “Eve,” often regarded as the first woman in various cultural narratives. This made it a fitting choice for our first digital ambassador and a meaningful representation of the women we aimed to support.