Pipiltin Cocoa and Their Sweet Journey in Partnering With Local Chocolate Farmers
To business owners and entrepreneurs, having a business with a socially driven purpose is no longer an impossible business model. The socially driven purposes we’re talking about here include Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, donations, environmental movements, etc. But are you familiar with the idea of incorporating Creating Shared Values, or CSV, in your business model?
A brother-sister duo, Tissa Auliani and Irvan Helmi, started their own chocolate business in 2013 with the mission to popularize Indonesian-made chocolate to the world. Knowing that chocolate is tightly associated with Belgium and Switzerland, Tissa and Irvan were driven to introduce chocolate products with local touches, especially when Indonesia grows many cocoa trees. That’s why Pipiltin Cocoa was established!
Getting to know this sweet business
Pipiltin Cocoa joined Tokopedia in 2020 and the platform became its main source of sales, especially during the pandemic. The founders shared that they often onboard Pipiltin Cocoa to campaigns in Tokopedia, such as Waktu Indonesia Belanja (WIB), Tokopedia Nyam, Semasa di Tokopedia, and Market Museum to maintain business stability and profitability. The Ramadan month also benefited the business greatly, resulting in a threefold profit increase from non-Ramadan months.
Aside from their unique-tasting chocolate products, one unique aspect of their business is their farmers. Today, Pipiltin Cocoa has empowered and partnered with more than 2,000 farmers across Indonesia; they are not referred to as employees but farmpreneurs. Both Irvan and Tissa emphasized the importance of partnering with farmers instead of employing them. This is done to ensure the working relationship between business owners and farmpreneurs remains smooth and the farmpreneurs are constantly motivated.
Sweetening our business values with Creating Shared Value (CSV)
In running their business, Pipiltin Cocoa also adopted what’s called Creating Shared Values (CSV) in their business model to give more value to farmpreneurs. Owners can directly purchase cocoa beans from farmers at prices above the market average, allowing farmers to gain more profit without sharing the commission with an intermediary.
Pipiltin Cocoa makes sure to include other efforts to add value to its business. One example would be its ongoing partnership with Yayasan Tunas Cendekia, where both provide a mobile library to promote learning and increase literacy in Cisarua, Bogor, West Java. Lastly, in collaboration with Tokopedia, Indonesia Coffee, and the Cocoa Institute, Pipiltin Cocoa created a 1,000 seed planting program. For every Pipiltin Cocoa product sold on Tokopedia, the business will distribute 1,000 high-quality seeds to farmers in Bali. The program is aimed at resolving issues within the cocoa supply chain across Indonesia.
“For certain products that are sold, we distribute 1,000 seeds for Indonesian farmers. Our goal is to invite customers to participate in empowering local farmers”.
As consumers, we see Pipiltin Cocoa’s products as a mere sweet treat, especially for people with a sweet tooth. However, when we dissect its story, we can clearly see a much sweeter journey behind its founding and daily operations. A business can be more than a way to seek profit; it can also be used to add value, impact, and meaning to its stakeholders. Through the story of Pipiltin Cocoa, we hope your business’ story can be as sweet as this one!
