Barry Callebaut aims to make sustainable chocolate the norm

 

Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of Barry Callebaut: “We have been pioneering sustainability in cocoa and chocolate for many years, and we have made great progress. But despite all our efforts, only 23% of the cocoa beans we source are from sustainability programs. We are determined to step change this and have 100% of our chocolate and its ingredient sustainably sourced by 2025”.

Four concrete and relevant targets by 2025 In order to secure the future of chocolate, Barry Callebaut’s new sustainability strategy includes four targets that the company expects to achieve by 2025 and that address the biggest sustainability challenges in the chocolate supply chain: 1. Eradicate child labor from its supply chain; 2. Lift more than 500,000 cocoa farmers out of poverty; 3. Become carbon and forest positive; 4. Have 100% sustainable ingredients in all its products.

Despite industry’s efforts, there are a number of structural issues in the chocolate supply chain, the company explains. Low productivity on cocoa farms as a result of poor agricultural practices, nutrient depleted soil, and aging cocoa trees are keeping many farmers in a state of poverty. Poverty prevents cocoa farmers from investing in their farms and new practices to increase productivity that would boost their incomes. Barry Callebaut will publish each year a report on the progress it is making towards the four targets it has defined.