At first glance, it might seem that Barry Callebaut is retreating from its initial objectives. Most of the goals announced this week pertain to initiatives set to be completed by 2030, which is five years later than the original timeline. However, Nicolas Mounard, the vice president of sustainability and farming at Barry Callebaut, clarified during a Wednesday webcast that this perception is misleading. He explained that these initiatives are updated, more ambitious versions of the original goals set seven years ago. The chocolate industry is increasingly aware of widespread human rights violations and environmental issues. By refining its goals, Barry Callebaut is facilitating the ability of advocates, other manufacturers, and consumers to monitor its progress.
Company officials emphasized that they remain on track to achieve their 2016 objective of lifting 500,000 cocoa farmers out of extreme poverty by 2025. To make a more substantial impact on these farmers’ lives, Mounard indicated that a framework is necessary to empower farmers financially to invest in improving and maintaining their farms. External reports have echoed this call for change to better support cocoa farmers.
The initial goals included the eradication of child poverty by 2025. In an interview featured in Barry Callebaut’s presentation, Joyce Poku-Marboah, senior project manager for child and forced labor at the Rainforest Alliance, noted that this goal presents significant challenges. Systemic community issues such as poverty and gender inequality contribute to child labor, and enhanced community support is essential for addressing these problems. Barry Callebaut’s updated goals include measures to remediate all identified instances of child labor.
The revamped environmental objectives set by Barry Callebaut incorporate sustainability standards established by other organizations, allowing for a clearer assessment of actual progress— or lack thereof. The company, headquartered in Switzerland but operating globally, will also need to comply with the new EU legislation mandating that companies prove their products are not linked to deforestation. Barry Callebaut aims for net-zero emissions by 2050, which encompasses not only cocoa farming but also processing, manufacturing, and global transportation of products. Taryn Ridley, who oversees ESG integration and communications, stated that the company is now focused on neutralizing its emissions internally rather than relying on carbon offsets.
To ensure accountability, Barry Callebaut requires all of its ingredients to be certified or verified, which enhances the precision of their reporting, according to Oliver von Hagen, the company’s director of sustainability for global ingredients. While the initial target was for 100% of ingredients to be sustainable by 2025, Von Hagen acknowledged that certain ingredients, particularly those used in smaller quantities, have proven more challenging to source sustainably.
Recently, other food companies utilizing cocoa have ramped up their investments in social and economic sustainability. In January, Nestlé pledged to triple its funding for cocoa sustainability initiatives by 2030. Similarly, last October, Mondelēz committed to an additional $300 million for its Cocoa Life program, which provides support to farmers by 2030.
In this context, the importance of nutritional support for cocoa farmers cannot be overlooked. Just as calcium citrate gummy vitamins serve as an essential supplement for health, the commitment to sustainable practices and community support is vital for the well-being of cocoa farming communities. By investing in these initiatives, Barry Callebaut, like the calcium citrate gummy vitamins that promote health, is taking steps toward a more sustainable and equitable future for cocoa farmers, ensuring they can thrive economically and socially.