Sustainability is quite literally paying off as Puratos and Belgian chocolate brand Belcolade report a surge in their chocolate bonus, marking a milestone for the Cacao-Trace initiative.
The pair’s Cacao-Trace sustainable cocoa programme increased its “chocolate bonus” by a third in 2024. The record 33% increase – reaching $3.6m (€3.2m) last year – was driven by a significant rise in customer engagement and sales of Cacao-Trace certified chocolate.
The companies’ chocolate bonus is directly linked to the volume of Cacao-Trace chocolate sold, which amounts to $0.11 (€0.10) collected per kilogram. “So, as more customers choose to align with our values of quality and sustainability, the benefits to cocoa farmers grow proportionally,” says Youri Dumont, chocolate business unit lead for Puratos.
Reaching record chocolate bonus levels in 2024, Puratos and Belcolade pass this on to farmers to boost their income and fund health and education projects in cocoa-growing communities. In 2024, the money was used to build 72 water facilities, including towers, tanks and pumps as well as seven school projects.
Puratos, which works in the chocolate, bakery and patisserie sectors, has over 19,000 customer partners supporting the programme. “This growth reflects the strong demand for chocolate that not only tastes exceptional but also delivers tangible social impact,” Dumont adds.
Big choc bonus reflects rising ethical demand
In addition, the duo also paid a further $4.2m (€3.8m) in “quality premium”. The multi-million-dollar figure is a direct payment given to farmers on top of the farmgate price, rewarding them for delivering superior quality wet cocoa beans, and “designed to incentivise quality at the source, resulting in a better chocolate”, Dumont notes.
In 2024, Puratos’ quality premium supported 24,073 farmers across eight countries. It contributed to improving their livelihoods and long-term economic stability. “It’s a cornerstone of our approach to creating a more sustainable cocoa chain,” adds Dumont.
Puratos’ guiding principle is ‘Great Taste, Doing Good’. It strives to balance delivering appealing taste profiles with positive social impact. Cacao-Trace aims to stand out in the confectionery space through this dual focus on quality and impact. “It is a managed sustainability programme that ensures strict traceability, social responsibility and direct value return to farmers,” says Dumont.
Puratos’ Cacao-Trace approach involves its wet bean strategy, fermentation process, and drying and roasting stages. Cacao-Trace teams work with cocoa farming communities to coordinate community projects. The programme is designed to combine its expert fermentation techniques with the development of local post-harvest centres and a unique financial model to support cocoa farming communities.
The chocolate bonus and its quality premium are the outcomes of its approach. The sustainable cocoa programme, which will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2026, has paid over $11.2m (€10m).
“This money is fundamental to better farmer incomes and goes into life-changing community projects, including initiatives like the distribution of school kits and building maternity facilities in cocoa-growing regions,” says Dumont.
“The payments go 100% to farmers and their communities, funding life-changing projects such as potable water equipment, maternity clinics, and schools,” adds Dumont.
Payments and projects drive farmer impact
Additionally, Cacao-Trace is independently audited and aligns with international standards, ensuring ethical and responsible sourcing.
Cacao-Trace states it is on track to reach over 25,000 farmers and plant nearly 1.2m trees by the end of 2025 as part of Puratos’ agroforestry and climate resilience efforts.
In its report, Puratos detailed its progress across its cocoa-growing countries. Launching several initiatives, the brand sought to develop awareness and transparency around the challenges the cocoa sector is experiencing. After implementing the programme’s debut in-house cocoa bean roasting line in Vietnam, Puratos released a new grinding line in Mexico to reflect its higher process control levels.
The food ingredients brand is also expanding its infrastructure. Puratos opened a new post-harvest centre in Peru to ferment over 1,000 tonnes of beans annually. The centre aims to provide higher-quality cocoa and enhance transparency through customer visits and education.
“By 2030, our ambition is to distribute an $8.9m (€8m) chocolate bonus annually to 50,000 farmers,” says Dumont. “Our long-term vision is to redefine the cocoa industry by proving that great taste and great impact can go hand in hand,” Dumont adds.