Transformation, together
We are working closely with local farmer organizations as well as industry, NGO, and government partners to achieve a fair and secure cocoa supply chain.
The context
The journey from cocoa bean to chocolate encompasses many different actors – from farmers, to communities, to processors and consumer brands.
Working together is vital to improve the health and resilience of cocoa farming communities, to foster sustainable economic development, and to promote responsible business practices within cocoa supply chains. By connecting our expertise and resources, we can achieve a level of transformation that no one organization can accomplish alone.
Collective action starts in the field, working with local farmer organizations and NGOs, and goes all the way up to origin country policymakers and to other cocoa and chocolate companies. Everyone has a unique part to play in the journey towards a more sustainable cocoa sector.
How are we achieving our goal?
We work closely and transparently with all relevant stakeholders forging local supply chain and sector-wide partnerships to make sure that the programs we deploy make a concrete difference on the ground.
Our foundation is the work that we do with our partner farmer organizations to build their capacity as professional, profitable and viable organizations. By supporting them, we create entities that drive future and local progress. Today, we continue to work and take localized action in specific regions and complement with the technical expertise from global partners and initiatives to move the sector forward as a whole.
Establishing close partnerships with relevant local and global organizations has allowed us to achieve meaningful impact in the communities where we do business, thanks to a wide range of insights that informs our sustainability programs.
Our partnerships
CARE
Our relationship with CARE is a testament to a shared commitment to helping smallholder farmers achieve more prosperous and resilient lives that dates back to 2008.
International Cocoa Initiative
Our engagement with the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) includes the implementation and scaling of the Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CMLRS).
Cocoa & Forests Initiative
In 2017, we co-signed the Cocoa and Forests Initiative (CFI), aimed at tackling deforestation, alongside thirty-four other chocolate and cocoa companies, the World Cocoa Foundation, and the IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative.
World Resources Institute (WRI)
In collaboration with the World Resources Institute, we have conducted a baseline risk assessment of over 2.3 million hectares across our five origin countries.
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
We partnered with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to provide partner cooperatives with commercial loans for truck leases and other logistical equipment in the Doni Doni Project.
SCOPEInsight
We have been working with SCOPEInsight to closely assess the outcomes of our Coop Academy for the farmer organizations and leaders who have participated in it.