OUR COCOA

WHERE DOES COCIO’S COCOA COME FROM?

100% of the cocoa we buy is Rainforest Alliance (RA) Certified and comes from West Africa.

WHO PRODUCES THE COCOA?

Nope, we don’t do it ourselves. We buy the RA certified cocoa powder from our supplier, Barry Callebaut, who processes cocoa beans into cocoa powder and cocoa butter (ingredients we use for the Cocio you know). Many small family farms produce the raw cocoa beans and they all sell their cocoa beans through a cooperative to our supplier.

HOW DOES COCIO ENSURE A RESPONSIBLE COCOA PRODUCTION?

It’s all about the right mindset. When we make a deal with our supplier and buy Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa, we ensure that the quantity of cocoa beans we use for making Cocio will be produced under the rules of the Rainforest Alliance programme.

HOW DOES CERTIFICATION FROM THE RAINFOREST ALLIANCE HELP FIGHTING CHILD LABOUR?

Children should be in school, not working in the field. The sad truth is, that in very poor countries in West Africa it is considered natural and necessary for kids to help with the harvest of cocoa as well as other tasks in the many small family farms. 

The rules of the Rainforest Alliance programme and the control system in place are the best tools we have for fighting dangerous and illegal child labour. It's a long and difficult process to change the perception of working children, and the first step is to ensure that children attend school. And if they work, they should not perform hazardous work – and, of course, there is zero tolerance for forced labour of any kind.

WHY HAVEN'T you bought CERTIFIED COCOA IN THE PAST?

We would have loved to! But... it’s complicated and here's the story: We had been actively looking for a certified cocoa supplier since 2008, however, it was simply not possible before 2010 to get the Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa we need from the Western part of Africa. We wanted it to be more than just a small line extension with cocoa from a country without challenges – we wanted to change our entire range once and for all and make a real difference.

WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN RAINFOREST ALLIANCE CERTIFICATION (RA)?

We carefully evaluated the different options and certification systems and chose RA for two essential reasons: 1) RA raises the living standards of cocoa farmers through training and long-term, responsible development. 2) Our suppliers can deliver RA certified cocoa of the type we already use in Cocio.

This is a big deal to us as we can keep the unique taste in Cocio AND ensure better conditions for cocoa farmers in West Africa. Win-win! A number of other major brands such as IKEA, Mars and Sara Lee have also chosen RA as their primary programme for coffee or cocoa or both.