Lindt & Sprüngli has reached a significant milestone with its Farming Program for a transparent and sustainable cocoa bean supply chain: 100 percent of cocoa beans are traceable back to the farmers and externally verified. 

Traceability is the prerequisite for a targeted improvement of the cultivation and living conditions of farmers in the company’s own supply chain.

“Since 2008, we have been supporting cocoa bean sustainability and traceability in our supply chain through the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program. We are delighted that after 12 years of groundwork, we achieved this major milestone,” a “Lindt & Sprüngli spokesperson tells FoodIngredientsFirst. 

“Traceability is crucial to have a real impact. We need to know who produces our cocoa and what the conditions on the ground are to support farmers and their communities with the right actions. For us, traceability begins with the cocoa farmers and does not end until the beans reach our production sites.”

“The challenges in the cocoa-growing countries for Lindt & Sprüngli, as well as for the entire chocolate industry, are very complex,” says Dieter Weisskopf, CEO of the Lindt & Sprüngli Group.

“It is therefore extremely important for us to address the issues in a targeted manner with our own Farming Program to directly achieve sustainable improvements. Reaching the interim goal of 100 percent 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 Program. It is clear – there is still a lot to do,” he affirms. 

Lindt & Sprüngli developed its sustainability program for cocoa beans in 2008, the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program. 

The initiative was launched in Ghana and is now established in all five countries from which Lindt & Sprüngli sources cocoa beans. 

The program promotes the ecological and socially responsible cultivation of cocoa beans and supports farmers, their families, and their communities according to their specific needs. 

Transparency from “bean-to-bar”
In line with Innova Market Insights’ top trend for 2021, “Transparency Triumphs,” consumers are looking for more transparency about the ingredients, processes and people.

The “bean-to-bar” approach ensures supply chain transparency. Lindt & Sprüngli takes on responsibility for every step in the production process. 

This begins with the purchase of beans from the Farming Program, continues with the production of cocoa and chocolate masses in the factories and ends with the final product.

The system of labeling is crucial for traceability. As soon as the beans are packed and sold, they receive a unique identification, such as a barcode. 

In this way, the beans can be assigned to the Farming Program and the participating farmers. Afterward, the beans destined for Lindt & Sprüngli are always transported separately and physically segregated on their way to the factories. The model fulfills the highest degree of traceability, so-called “identity preserved.”

“This highest level of traceability guarantees that the cocoa beans from the Farming Program are always physically processed and transported separately from all other beans and can be traced back to their origin. The traceability of our cocoa bean supply chain is the key foundation of our Program for improving living conditions in the growing countries in the long term,” the spokesperson outlines.

The cocoa beans in Lindt & Sprüngli’s chocolates thus originate from the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program, whose activities have been verified by the non-profit organization Earthworm Foundation since 2015. 

The organization independently verifies the activities, processes and effectiveness of the Farming Program on-site at least once a year. It supports Lindt & Sprüngli and the local implementation partners in developing action plans for further improvements.

A path to sustainable procurement
For sustainable sourcing, Lindt & Sprüngli is on a path with the Farming Program. The challenges in the countries wher cocoa beans are grown range from protecting human rights to income diversification and environmental protection. 

“As a bean to bar manufacturer, we have built up extensive expertise in areas ranging from the selection of high-quality beans and technological know-how in the processing of our own cocoa mass to chocolate production at our factories. This is a differentiating feature that still distinguishes us as a premium manufacturer today. We are proud to have achieved a 100 percent traceable and externally verified cocoa bean supply chain by the end of 2020,” the spokesperson adds.

“Our primary cocoa commitment is that by 2025, 100 percent of cocoa products (butter, powder) will be sourced through sustainability programs. With the achieved milestone, an important step was already reached.”

Spotlight on the cocoa sector
Several advancements in the cocoa sector focus on tackling deforestation, which is a growing concern for many cocoa-producing countries. 

Governments and 35 companies in the Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) reported significant progress toward ending deforestation in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana last week.

Companies are also investing in extensive scale farmer training for better livelihoods and less incentive to encroach into forests.

Meanwhile, Barry Callebaut recently launched a first-of-its-kind, large-scale indicative High Carbon Stock (HCS) map covering Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Last month, Cargill shone a light on the importance of protecting the forests in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. In the company’s Cocoa & Forests Initiative report, Cargill revealed that progress and restoration is being made through farm mapping and traceable supply chains.

Also, Nestlé recently stepped up sustainability efforts to protect and restore forests while also outlining that the iconic KitKat brand will be carbon neutral by 2025.