What opportunities and challenges does the sustainable production of cocoa and chocolate present?
Cocoa is grown by smallholders in various tropical countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Growing cocoa helps provide a livelihood for around 50 million farmers and their families worldwide. However, these smallholders are exposed to various risks, such as price fluctuations, climate change and pest infestations, etc. The smallholdings are usually very modest in size and their productivity very low. The combination of these factors means cocoa growers often struggle to generate sufficient income to live off. This poverty sometimes results in the use of child labour in the fields or deforestation to provide new farmland.
A broad-based approach is required to break this vicious circle between unsustainable farming and poverty. More stable and higher farm-gate prices, more resilient crop varieties and productivity improvement measures can help to improve the situation. This requires cooperation between all market stakeholders, including governments in the countries where cocoa is grown.
The share of sustainable cocoa imports to Switzerland rose from 55% to 82% between 2018 and 2023 – how was that achieved?
SWISSCO members set a target of ensuring that all cocoa imported into Switzerland comes from verified sustainable production by 2030. This requires commitment and cooperation from all stakeholders – wholesalers, chocolate producers, retailers, civil society, research and government.