• Implementation of a rigorous organizational-wide approach to prepare for the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which has profoundly transformed our traceability efforts and set a new standard for transparency in our supply chain. As such, we have mapped 669,174 farm plots (+22.2%) in 2023/24.
• Significant increase in carbon removals (-388,433 tCO2e) through the upscaling of our agroforestry approach, which reached 33,795 hectares of agroforestry newly established in 2023/24.
• Scale-up of our paid Labor Groups program by +125.8% in comparison to 2022/23, now covering close to 44,000 hectares.
• Partnership with three international child rights organizations to address socio-economic factors driving child labor and child rights, supporting our new community-based approach in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria.

In May 2023, we presented a set of sharpened targets for Forever Chocolate. We have not only sharpened our targets but also fundamentally rethought our approach in order to achieve the biggest impact. Our approach combines ambitious targets, thought leadership, customer solutions, and operational excellence.

• With regard to thought leadership, we are committed to leading by example and providing valuable insights through, for example, the release of our White Paper which underpins our vision for a transformative approach to improve the existing cocoa farming model in Côte d'Ivoire and, more broadly, across West Africa.
• Concerning customer solutions, our customers are our priority and we have developed key flagship programs that provide innovative solutions tailored to their needs.
• As to operational excellence, this is driven by our over 1,600 colleagues in cocoa-origin countries, who form the backbone of our organization, contributing their expertise, skills, and unique perspectives. As the largest supplier of sustainable cocoa products and chocolate, we strive to excel in every aspect of our operations across the entire supply chain and have the ability to scale up on key activities with precision.

By 2025, 500,000 cocoa farmers in our supply chain will have been lifted out of poverty. By 2030, we will have mobilized key stakeholders around a transformative cocoa farming model generating living income.

Our approach

At Barry Callebaut, we aim to transform the way cocoa is produced by enhancing the existing farming model in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, and beyond. We firmly believe that focusing on increasing production volumes from a smaller group of farmers, who can then achieve a living income through a combination of better yield, larger farms, and higher farm gate prices, is the key.

Many cocoa farmers struggle to make a living income. Their main challenge is access to investments in their farms. This is why we shifted our focus from training to providing input support. Our support ranges from subsidized soil inputs and planting material to financial support for third-party labor services and additional premiums. Improving quality yield per hectare remains key to lift smallholder cocoa farmers out of poverty and put them on a trajectory towards a living income.

By 2025, our entire supply chain will be covered by Human Rights Due Diligence, remediating all child labor cases identified. By 2030, the farming communities we source from are empowered to protect child rights.

Our approach

We envision that all children are able to embrace opportunities and realize their full potential, living in communities that are safe and self-reliant for all. We support a system strengthening approach, contributing to existing government structures and working with multiple stakeholders.

We focus our efforts on strengthening community systems to better protect children whilst still continuing our aim of remediating all cases of child labor found. Our community approach starts with understanding which farming communities are most at risk, and providing these farming communities with the necessary support through a combination of strengthening the local child protection system, access to quality education and adequate community infrastructure, and improved livelihoods.

At the same time, Forever Chocolate aligns with the OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct, which provide a comprehensive framework for promoting responsible business practices. For more information, see Our Approach To Due Diligence in Barry Callebaut’s Social and Environmental Impact Report 2023/24.

By 2025, we will be forest positive. By 2030, we will have decarbonized our footprint in line with global efforts to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius. By 2050, we will be a net zero company. 

Our approach

To ensure the stability of ecosystems we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and achieving a forest positive supply chain. This means our goal is to go beyond sourcing activities and deforestation-free supply chains and contribute to long-term and large-scale forest conservation.

At the same time our aim is to empower communities, helping farmers prosper by increasing the long-term productivity of cocoa farming in environmentally suitable areas while mitigating the impact of climate change, preserving ecosystems and restoring natural biodiversity on existing farmland.

While maintaining our target to become forest positive by 2025, we are focusing on insetting our carbon emissions through agroforestry and other decarbonization initiatives across our factories and value chain. This shift is aligned with the emissions reduction trajectory of the Paris Agreement for 2030, and will help us become a net-zero company by 2050.

By 2030, we will have 100% certified or verified cocoa and ingredients in all of our products, traceable to farm level.

Our approach

We are collaborating closely with our suppliers, engaging in industry-level working groups and striving to increase customer demand for sustainable products while implementing our sustainable sourcing programs across all ingredients. Our goal is to integrate these programs into regulatory frameworks, establish strong government partnerships, and positively shape agricultural policies.

Traceability is a cornerstone of our Forever Chocolate commitment to making sustainable chocolate the norm. Through our traceability systems, we not only ensure transparency and accountability, we can also accurately track and monitor the origins of our products, promoting ethical practices, safeguarding human rights and reducing environmental impact through deforestation monitoring, education, prevention and other programs.

Whenever possible, we are driving impact on the ground by working directly with farmers and cooperatives. In addition to cocoa, we have various origin-based projects covering dairy, coconut oil, palm oil and cane sugar. We work with, and implement, various sustainable cocoa programs to improve cocoa farmer livelihoods and farming practices. Among them is Cocoa Horizons, our preferred vehicle to drive impact and deliver on our Forever Chocolate ambition while addressing customer needs.