As part of its sustainability efforts, the Swiss chocolatier set up the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Programme in 2008 with the aim of ensuring traceability and sustainability in its cocoa bean supply chain. The Programme promotes the ecological and socially responsible cultivation of cocoa beans and aims to support farmers, their families and communities.
Initially launched in Ghana, the company said the programme is now running in all five countries where the company sources its cocoa beans.
“The challenges in the cocoa-growing countries for Lindt & Sprüngli, as well as for the entire chocolate industry, are very complex,” said Dieter Weisskopf, Lindt & Sprüngli CEO. “It is therefore extremely important for us to address the issues in a targeted manner with our own Farming Programme to directly achieve sustainable improvements.”
Lindt said that traceability is a prerequisite for a targeted improvement of the cultivation and living conditions of farmers in its own supply chain, and its Farming Programme focuses on four key pillars: traceability and farmer organisation; training and knowledge transfer; farmer investments and community development; and verification and continuous progress (internal control system and external evaluation).
The company also announced that in 2020, approximately $12m was invested into the programme.
“Reaching the interim goal of 100% traceable and verified cocoa beans is an important milestone for us. We will continue to pursue our path with great energy and continuously expand and improve the Programme. It is clear – there is still a lot to do,” Weisskopf said.
