Chocolate, Faith, and the Fight for Fairness

When most of us think of chocolate, we think of sweetness and celebration. But behind the chocolate industry lies a bitter reality: exploitation, unfair wages, and even slave labor in global supply chains.

On this episode of the Corral Call, we welcomed Kim Wilson, founder of the Coco Future Collaborative, who is on a mission to transform the cocoa industry with faith, fairness, and innovation.

From business to mission

Kim’s journey began not with chocolate, but with prayer. In 2004, she asked God to use her business skills for His purposes. That prayer set her on a path that led from corporate boardrooms to mission fields in South Africa, India, and eventually to the cacao farms of Indonesia and Central America.

Through years of prayer journaling and listening for God’s direction, Kim learned that God cares deeply about business decisions, product development, and even boardroom strategies.

The call into cacao

In 2009, while praying about human trafficking and bonded labor, Kim sensed God calling her into an industry she had never expected: cacao. The Lord gave her a detailed picture — something grown locally, requiring manual labor, shelf-stable, natural, and able to be enjoyed both in the producing regions and globally.

Not long after, she learned that nearly 40% of the world’s chocolate supply was linked to slave labor. The pieces clicked into place: cacao would be the arena where faith and fairness could come together.

A woman in a man’s world

The cacao industry has long been dominated by men. In fact, at one conference Kim attended, a speaker addressed “Ladies and gentlemen” — then corrected himself to “Lady and gentlemen,” because she was the only woman present.

Yet God opened doors. When Kim proposed her first experiment with cacao processing, five women farmers showed up to join her. She soon realized that food processing — traditionally women’s work — had been cut out of the supply chain by centuries of export models. By bringing chocolate-making back to the communities, women could re-enter the industry in powerful ways.

Coco Future Collaborative

Founded in 2021, the Coco Future Collaborative helps cacao-producing communities move beyond raw bean exports to value-added chocolate production at origin.

• They currently partner with 25–30 makers across 15 countries.
• Most are in Central and South America, with some in Africa and Asia.
• The nonprofit supports them with FDA compliance, US market access, and sales channels.
• They also offer chocolate tasting kits for groups, where you can meet the makers via video while sampling their craft chocolate.

Kim’s vision is simple but radical: farmers should enjoy the fruit of their own labor — something largely denied for the last 500 years of cacao history.

Faith at the center

Not every partner Kim works with is a Christian, but her approach to discipleship is relational:

• Living out Kingdom values of service, generosity, creativity, and health.
• Praying with colleagues when challenges arise.
• Being a faithful friend and advocate.

She reminds us that God knows how to speak to us in our “accent.” Whether through writing, journaling, prayer groups, or unexpected visions, He finds ways to lead us in business and in life.

How to get involved

Host a Tasting: Order a kit at cocofuture.org and gather friends, small groups, or co-workers to sample craft chocolate from around the world.

Support the Mission: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Coco Future Collaborative welcomes donations to help level the playing field for farmers and makers.

Connect a Maker: Know someone producing cacao or chocolate in-country who wants to expand into the US? Introduce them to Coco Future.

The post Kim Wilson – Transforming the Cocoa Industry with Faith & Fairness appeared first on SheepFeast.