✅ Chocolate On Purpose, Australia's first 100% Indigenous-owned chocolate company, won Champion in Social Enterprise Business at the 2025 Australian Women's Small Business Champion Awards
✅ The company has helped lift 122,000 cacao farmers above poverty, eliminated 25,000 cases of child labour, and supported 37,146 Indigenous women farmers globally
✅ Through palm oil-free sourcing, the company prevents 174 tonnes of CO2 emissions hourly and preserves 300 football fields worth of rainforest
✅ The NSW Government Department Primary Industries, Regional Trust funded Ngunggilanha Project creates employment pathways for Aboriginal women aged 45+, combining chocolate production with Cultural education
✅ The company aims to generate $10M in economic activity through Indigenous enterprises by 2030 and establish Australia's first Indigenous-led chocolate manufacturing facility
Australia's first 100% Indigenous-owned chocolate company has been named Champion in the Social Enterprise Business category at the 2025 Australian Women's Small Business Champion Awards. Chocolate On Purpose, founded by Wiradjuri woman Fiona Harrison, was recognised for transforming the artisan chocolate industry through ethical supply chains, Cultural leadership, and systemic change.
The award validates Chocolate On Purpose's pioneering approach to blending premium, fair trade certified, palm oil-free artisan chocolate with Australian native botanicals sourced from Indigenous Growers, honouring 65,000 years of Indigenous botanical wisdom whilst advancing economic sovereignty across global supply chains.
Key Facts:
- 122,000 cacao farmers lifted above the poverty line
- 25,000 cases of forced child labour eradicated
- 37,146 Indigenous women farmers supported across Africa and Ecuador
- 174 tonnes of CO2 emissions prevented hourly through palm oil-free sourcing
- 300 football-field-sized rainforest tracts preserved
- NSW Government grant funding the Ngunggilanha (Reciprocity) Project
"This recognition validates that Indigenous women's leadership matters in industries built on our knowledge," said Fiona Harrison, Founder and CEO of Chocolate On Purpose. "We're not just making chocolate, we're reclaiming economic sovereignty, empowering cacao farmers, and creating pathways for Aboriginal women aged 45+, the fastest-growing demographic of all Australian women experiencing homelessness."
Transforming Supply Chains, Transforming Lives
The company's impact extends across three continents. Through fair trade, traceable sourcing practices, it protects Indigenous communities from displacement whilst preserving endangered habitats and supporting farmer prosperity.
The Ngunggilanha Project: Employment, Culture, Healing
Central to Chocolate On Purpose's vision is the Ngunggilanha Project, funded by a NSW Government Aboriginal Economic Development Grant. This initiative creates meaningful employment pathways for Aboriginal women aged 45+, combining chocolate production with a native botanical sensory garden—a living classroom for Cultural knowledge transfer, horticulture skills, and economic empowerment.
"The Ngunggilanha Project represents our commitment to addressing intergenerational trauma, economic marginalisation, and Cultural preservation simultaneously," Harrison explained. "Every employment opportunity we create is an act of self-determination and healing." "We are Chocolate For Good™ "
Industry Leadership Through Innovation
Despite the $300M native botanical industry being built on Indigenous intellectual and Cultural property, Indigenous leadership represents less than 2% of the sector. Chocolate On Purpose directly challenges this inequity, building an ethical, transparent supply chain that prioritises Indigenous growers and producers.
This innovative approach has attracted ASX-listed corporations, multinational entertainment companies, and Big Four professional services firms, whilst maintaining its commitment to reinvesting over 50% of profits into Indigenous communities and cacao farmers worldwide.
Looking Forward: $10M Economic Impact by 2030
Harrison's vision extends beyond chocolate. By 2030, Chocolate On Purpose aims to generate $10M in economic activity through networked Indigenous enterprises, mentor 50+ Aboriginal women entrepreneurs, and establish Australia's first Indigenous-led chocolate manufacturing facility, a beacon of self-determination and Cultural preservation.
The 2025 Australian Women's Small Business Champion Awards is sponsored by WESTPAC, NOVA Employment, VJB Group, Xclusive Business Sales, Big Clean, Castaway Forecasting, and Boa.
About us:
Chocolate On Purpose is Australia's first 100% Indigenous-owned chocolate company, founded in 2012 by Wiradjuri woman Fiona Harrison. Based on Gundungurra Country in Moss Vale, NSW, the certified social enterprise transforms artisan chocolate into a Cultural storytelling experience, empowering Indigenous communities through ethically sourced, native botanical chocolates that educate, inspire, and create systemic change. For more information, visit www.chocolateonpurpose.com.au
Contact details:
Fiona Harrison Founder & CEO, Chocolate On Purpose P: 0413508638 E: [email protected]
