Beyond Chocolate

Overview

The overall objective of the project is to ensure living incomes for farmers and to achieve zero deforestation in the cocoa value chain for the Belgian market by 2030. Further, it aims to reach certification of all chocolate produced or sold on the Belgian market and adherence to the Cocoa and Forest Initiative (CFI) standards by 2025.

IDH implements this initiative and provides roadmaps on living income, deforestation and traceability. The multistakeholder platform brings together retailers, NGOs, Belgian government, large and small chocolate manufacturers, traders and couverture markets, impact investors and knowledge institutions.

Pilot projects in producer countries are financed up to one third through the 1.5 million euros of this intervention, and up to two thirds by the private sector serve to improve collaboration between the different actors, build trust, establish data and projects working on the deforestation and living income nexus ready to be scaled up.

Ongoing projects of the "Beyond Chocolate Initiative" include:

1. Beyond Trees, Towards Better Incomes for Cocoa Farmers (implemented by Cargill, PUR Projet & Empow’Her)
2. Sustainable organic and high-quality cocoa production for the cooperative Yeyasso in Ivory Coast (implemented by La Chocolaterie Galler, ENABEL - TDC, YEYASSO & ZOTO)
3. Landscapes for Cocoa Livelihoods (implemented by Mondelez, CIAT, Olam, Sustainable Food Lab)
4. Farmers-Chocolatiers Sustainable Partnership (implemented by Puratos, Fairtrade Belgium, Belvas)
5. Direct market access for Ituri smallholder farmers producing deforestation-free premium cocoa (implemented by ZOTO, Silva Cacao, Rikolto, UPCCO, Cacao Okapi)

Please visit the project website or contact us to find out how this support can benefit you.

Website