Chocolate On Purpose®, Australia’s first 100% Indigenous-owned chocolate company, has been named Champion in Social Enterprise Business at the 2025 Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards.
And while the accolade is impressive, it’s only a sliver of the impact this small-but-mighty company is making.
Founded by Wiradjuri woman Fiona Harrison, Chocolate On Purpose has been quietly (and deliciously) reshaping global supply chains. Their ethical sourcing model has helped lift 122,000 cacao farmers out of poverty, eliminated 25,000 cases of child labour, and supported 37,146 Indigenous women farmers around the world.
Even the planet gets a taste of the impact: by steering clear of palm oil, the company prevents 174 tonnes of CO₂ emissions every hour and protects the equivalent of 300 football fields of rainforest.
“We’re not just making chocolate,” Harrison says. “We’re reclaiming economic sovereignty, empowering cacao farmers, and creating pathways for Aboriginal women aged 45+ – the fastest-growing group of Australian women experiencing homelessness.”
For Harrison, the national award signals a broader shift: “It validates that Indigenous women’s leadership matters in industries built on our knowledge.”
Transforming Supply Chains, Transforming Lives
Chocolate On Purpose’s influence stretches across three continents. Through fair-trade and fully traceable sourcing, the company ensures cacao farmers are protected from exploitation, indigenous communities are shielded from displacement, and threatened ecosystems remain intact.
Every bar tells a story—one of dignity, livelihood, and the power of doing business differently.
The Ngunggilanha Project: Where Culture Meets Opportunity
At the heart of the company’s Australian impact is the Ngunggilanha Project, funded by a NSW Government Aboriginal Economic Development Grant. Designed to open career pathways for Aboriginal women aged 45+, the initiative blends chocolate production with a native botanical sensory garden – essentially a living classroom.
It’s a space where women can learn horticulture, pass on cultural knowledge, build confidence, and create economic independence.
“The Ngunggilanha Project represents our commitment to addressing intergenerational trauma, economic marginalisation, and cultural preservation simultaneously,” Harrison explains.
“Every employment opportunity we create is an act of self-determination and healing.”
Or as the company likes to put it: We are Chocolate For Good™.
Looking Ahead
By 2030, Chocolate On Purpose aims to generate $10 million in economic activity across Indigenous-owned enterprises and establish Australia’s first Indigenous-led chocolate manufacturing facility. It’s an ambitious plan, but then again, so was reimagining an entire industry. And they’re already well on their way.
