From producer to maker: 100% traced, fair-trade cocoa

Chocolate is one of those universal pleasures that span ages and cultures. And yet, behind every bean lies a supply chain that is undergoing rapid change. Due to threats linked to climate change, widespread poverty among producers and unsustainable farming practices, cocoa is becoming increasingly scarce, its price is soaring and its quality uncertain. Faced with this growing complexity, Valrhona is creating an exceptional cocoa supply chain by working closely with its partner producers to produce fairer chocolate, and by improving agricultural systems’ resilience. 

Fighting deforestation to preserve future generations of cocoa

Deforestation is the biggest contributor to the cocoa industry’s CO2 emissions. In response to this emergency, the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) "aims to prohibit the placing on the market or export from the European market of products that have contributed to deforestation or forest degradation after December 31, 2020".
To ensure the cocoa industry’s long-term future, Valrhona works every day to exceed expected standards. Its rationale is that exceptional chocolate is only created in ideal conditions. This ambition is reflected in specific, measurable actions based on three key areas:

1- We map our plots precisely and make sure they are not located in protected areas

By 2024, 100% of our cocoa partners' plots of all sizes had been mapped (as opposed to just the four-hectare plots required by law). To achieve this, all our partner growers' plots of all sizes were mapped using polygons (a succession of GPS points that delineate the edges of each plot). These polygons are then laid on top of each country’s official maps, which is essential because it enables us to check that the plots are not in protected areas. 
This meticulous work is vital if we are to create a fair and sustainable supply chain, as it allows us to know where our cocoa comes from, who produced it and in what conditions, but also to ensure that none of our cocoa beans come from protected areas. 

2- We analyze deforestation risks over a 20-year period compared with the five years required by law

This mapping enables us to measure changes in tree cover using satellite images. To do this, the GPS coordinates of our producers' plots are cross-referenced with forest cover maps dating from the last 20 years (as opposed to the five years required by law) to check that our cocoa has not contributed to deforestation. 

By analyzing forest cover loss over 20 years, we can accurately calculate each of our cocoas’ carbon footprints. To this end, in 2023 we launched a program with the NGO Nitidae to calculate each cocoa plot’s exact carbon footprint. The aim of this program is to determine how much carbon is produced by each kilogram of cocoa we buy, and to identify specific action we can take to reduce carbon for each origin.
All this high-precision work is made possible by our long-term partnerships with cocoa growers (which run for 8.5 years on average).

3- We make agroecology central to our work 

60% of our partners are already using agroecological practices that diversify crops, promote biodiversity and improve producers' incomes. Because this must be a priority if we are to preserve cocoa farming over the long term, we are committed to rolling out agroecological practices with 100% of our partners by 2030, ensuring both crops’ sustainability and communities’ well-being. 
This approach is specific to each region and always adapted to the realities on the ground, as well as production techniques’ maturity. Since 2018, four major projects have been set up with our partners: 
- The Cacao Forest project in the Dominican Republic and Côte d'Ivoire 
- The Creole gardens regeneration project in Haiti
- The TRACTIONS project and the collaborative learning center project in Indonesia

Our support helps to reintroduce biodiversity and increase producers' incomes from US$400 per hectare per year to US$1,000 to US$3,000 (depending on the model). 

Hear what Valrhona cocoa sourcer Nans Mouret and Thomas Fabre from Nitidae have to say about Valrhona’s actions to calculate our carbon footprint.

Moving towards 100% fair-trade cocoa by 2030

Because shaping the future of chocolate also means making sure the people who grow it have a future too, we have taken a decisive step towards making the cocoa industry fairer. We have chosen to get certifications for the approach we have always taken to supporting our cocoa producers.

By 2025, 30% of our cocoa bean purchases will be certified to internationally recognized standards such as Fairtrade Maxhavelaar and Fair for Life (compared with 3% in 2023). This is a significant step forward with a clear sense of direction, as we aim to make sure 100% of our beans are fair-trade certified by 2030. 

A long-term approach with tangible results

Our development has enabled us to support our partner producers’ organizations while meeting our business and individual customers’ increasing expectations that we source exceptional chocolate which is both traceable and good for society and the environment. 
At Valrhona, we're pursuing our long-standing partnerships - some of which have lasted over 30 years - while supporting them as they work towards certification. Contracts are signed for a minimum of three years, with a current average of 8.5 years, reflecting our long-term commitment.
The projects we carry out together are based on the following key principles: 

• Decent living and working conditions 
• Environmental protection 
• Valuing skills 
• Innovative agro-ecological practices 

Certification allows us to do several things. It helps us fund our purchases from producers and set up long-term partnerships, but also to offer bonuses. These are very important as we reinvest them in the communities by building schools and water towers providing access to drinking water. They also help us develop empowering income-generating businesses for women.

As explained by Aminata Bamba, sustainability manager at ECOOKIM

Case study: Cuvée du Sourceur Côte d'Ivoire Bio 56%

Our Single Origin Cuvée du Sourceur Côte d'Ivoire has Agriculture Biologique organic certification and its beans are purchased using fair trade principles. It fully embodies our ethical commitments. 
Made from beans grown, fermented and dried in the heart of the world's leading cocoa-producing country, it reflects the values upheld by Valrhona and its Fairtrade-certified cooperative partner, with whom it has worked for over 10 years. This long-term partnership based on mutual trust has enabled us to test and ultimately set up a large-scale fair trade, organic industry in Côte d'Ivoire. The chocolate brings out the full potential of an exceptional cocoa, which is grown with respect for ecosystems and local communities. 

Agro-ecology is "the use of nature's resources and mechanisms for the purpose of agricultural production. It combines ecological, economic and social aspects and aims to make the most of the interactions between plants, animals, people and the environment."

Moving towards a more ethical and sustainable industry 

By emphasizing advanced levels of traceability (well beyond EUDR regulations) and the principles of fair trade and agroecology, Valrhona has committed to building a more ethical and sustainable cocoa industry. These tangible actions contribute to the fight against deforestation and to forests’ preservation, to fairer pay and living conditions for producers, and to environmentally-friendly farming practices. Working hand-in-hand with our grower-partners, we continue to innovate and invest in sustainable solutions that will shape cocoa’s future. 

Because we strongly believe that chocolate’s future is inextricably linked to nature’s future, we pursue honest, collective action alongside our partner producers, makers and chefs, all so that we can reveal exceptional chocolate at its very best and create unforgettable sensory emotions, while respecting the people who grow our beans.