Raw materials procurement
The used raw materials are the heart of our chocolates. A major challenge in sourcing cocoa is gaining transparency in our supply chains, which are more and more complex in today’s global system. Common problems in the cocoa sector are child labour, low incomes for cocoa producers or ecological problems such as deforestation or the loss of biodiversity.
Our Cocoa Certifications 2022
For ensuring our social and ecological sustainability principles of our chocolates, we have been sourcing only sustainable certified cocoa since 2014 (organic, Naturland, Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance). Nevertheless, a constant questioning and optimization of the sustainability criterias of our products and especially the origin of our raw materials is essential for us.
We document the certifications of our raw materials so that we have an overview of the countries of origin and the sustainability aspects of our cocoa in order to check and improve them. The pie chart shows the different certifications of our cocoa. The world map gives an overview of the countries of origin of our cocoa.
Close cooperation with cocoa producers
We strive for more close cooperation with cooperatives and cocoa producers in order to increase transparency of our raw materials and to meet our responsibility in the cocoa producing regions. As a Fairtrade pioneer, we have maintained a very close relationship to a Fairtrade cooperative in Ghana since 1996. Annual on-site visits by us and visits by representatives of the cooperative to us in Herford enable a dialogue for mutual needs.
Sustainable Organic Cocoa Project
We value the origin of the cocoa we use to make our chocolates!
In October 2020 we launched a four-year project in the Dominican Republic for the sustainable production of organic cocoa in cooperation with the Fuparoca Foundation.
Our goal: to improve the living conditions of 150 organic and Rainforest Alliance certified cocoa producers and their families with a holistic approach. The goals are shown in the graphic.
Responsibility for other critical raw materials
Even though cocoa is the main ingredient in our chocolates, we use other important raw materials, which we also need to analyse along the whole value chain such as nuts, sugar or milk.
Since 2016, we have been using only Rainforest Alliance certified hazelnuts for our organic chocolate assortment.
Palm oil is used in a small part of our chocolates. The topic of sustainability takes a special position in our company with regard to the procurement and quality of the raw material palm fat. In order to live up to our responsibility, articles with RSPO* certified as well as organic Fairtrade palm fat are part of our fixed product range.
*IN 2004, WWF established the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainble Palm Oil) as a central organisation that disseminates sustainable cultivation practices for palm oil and thereby limit environmental degradation.