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Ensuring Traceability in the Cocoa Supply Chain

See how Cargill collaborates with partners to ensure full traceability of our cocoa supply chain in West Africa.

 

 

Man reviewing cocoa

Why this is critical

Global cocoa buyers want assurance that the products they buy are responsibly sourced. We can’t improve community well-being with cocoa communities if we don’t know the source of the cocoa we buy and the practices behind it. Ensuring we can trace our cocoa beans throughout our direct supply chain means we can more effectively identify risk factors and take swift and pointed actions to improve the lives of the people we work alongside in West Africa. This enhances market assurance for each community.


 

Cocoa bag with tag

How we are helping

Technology is at the heart of our traceability program, helping ensure the integrity of our cocoa supply chain.  We work with organizations to trace cocoa from the farm, to the warehouse, to our customers. We put a barcode on bags of cocoa to provide reliability in what we sell and guarantee full traceability to our customers. In Cote D’Ivoire, half of the cocoa in our direct supply chain is now fully traceable from farm to factory, up from 35% in 2017-18.

Harnessing traceability data to empower communities

The information we gather through our traceability system allows us to support communities in several ways. We conduct assessments to better understand community needs, such as improved education, essential services or gender equality, to inform future programs. We also carry out human rights risk assessments in our direct supply chain to determine the need for responsive programs.

DIVIDER

In Ghana, each bag of cocoa beans purchased by Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate can be traced to one of the 27,000 individual cocoa farmers, thanks to a fully traceable bar code.

DIVIDER

 

man explaining chart to family

Who is involved

In addition to ongoing collaboration with our cocoa supply chain, we partner with the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) to develop and implement a Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS). Through our work with ICI, we raise awareness about the impacts of child labor and identify incidents in our cocoa supply chain. We have more than doubled our child labor monitoring and remediation systems in Cote d’Ivoire from 12% to 28% of farms. Together with ICI and trusted partners in the communities where we operate, we are taking remediation action where necessary as we work toward our goal of having monitoring and remediation systems in our direct supply chain by 2025.

Changing Cocoa Communities by Empowering Women

Cargill strengthens the roles of women in the cocoa sector, cascading positive change throughout entire communities.

Improving Access to Education for Children in West Africa

Find out how Cargill and our partners help communities chart their own course, providing solutions that allow them to thrive.

Partnering to Improve Community Well-being in West Africa

See how Cargill collaborates with partners on the ground to improve community well-being in West Africa.