• Carma® is the first major Swiss B2B chocolate manufacturer to switch its full range of “Swiss Top” and “Swiss Line” chocolate couvertures to UTZ Certified cocoa

Chocolate artisans and their consumers increasingly want to get the assurance that cocoa is grown in a sustainable way, which generates better income and better livelihoods for farmers and their families.

Carma® is the first major Swiss B2B brand to source only sustainable, UTZ certified cocoa for its main range of chocolate couvertures. These are sold to professional and artisanal customers under the brands “Swiss Top” and “Swiss Line”. This is the result of a partnership between Carma® – the Barry Callebaut Group’s Swiss Gourmet brand – and UTZ Certified. UTZ Certified stands for sustainable farming and better opportunities for farmers, their families and our planet.

“The UTZ program enables farmers to learn better farming methods which empowers farmers to increase their productivity, generate more income and take better care of their children and the environment”, says UTZ Certified’s Executive Director Han de Groot. “As the first major manufacturer of Gourmet chocolate couvertures for professionals in Switzerland to source exclusively from UTZ certified suppliers, Carma demonstrates leadership in sustainability”.  

Thomas Hagmann, Managing Director of Carma and Barry Callebaut Switzerland, adds: “Sustainable cocoa will make a positive impact on thousands of cocoa farmers. Opting for Carma®’s couvertures is a wise choice. Not only does it offer great taste and the traditional attributes of Swiss chocolate; but our customers can now also tell end consumers that by enjoying their chocolate, they support sustainable cocoa farming. This is the claim many consumers are looking for”.

UTZ certified cocoa beans are produced by farmers in cooperatives who participate in the cocoa sustainability activities of Barry Callebaut. UTZ labelled chocolate couvertures directly support these cocoa farmers.

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About CARMA^® (www.carma.ch):
CARMA^®, the Swiss chocolate brand for professionals, was created in 1931 by Carl Maentler in Zurich to bring to market ready-to-use specialist products of the highest quality. Today, CARMA^® offers a wide range of high-quality products, which are manufactured in Switzerland (Dübendorf): couvertures, Massa Ticino^TM, baking pastes, fruit products, instant products and toppings. Thanks to its successful expansion and increasing demand, CARMA^® is the partner of demanding pastry chefs, confectioners and restaurateurs in Switzerland and more than 30 countries around the world.
CARMA^® is the Swiss Gourmet chocolate brand of the Barry Callebaut group, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cacao products.

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About UTZ Certified:
UTZ Certified is a program and label for sustainable farming of coffee, cocoa and tea. Its mission is to create a world where sustainable farming is the norm. The UTZ program enables farmers to learn better farming methods, improve working conditions and take better care of people and the environment. The compliance with UTZ’s strict requirements by farms and businesses is closely monitored by independent third parties.