Swiss cocoa industry: Together for sustainable chocolate

Today, 41 players in the Swiss cocoa industry have joined forces to form the independent association Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa. The new association promotes sustainability in the cocoa sector. Founding members include the industry association CHOCOSUISSE, manufacturers, importers and traders of cocoa-based products, Swiss retailers, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), non-profit organizations and research institutions. "The joint initiative of the private sector, the public sector, civil society and research institutions is an important step towards a sustainable cocoa value chain," says Ernst A. Brugger, President of the Cocoa Platform.

Target: 80 percent sustainable cocoa

The members of the Cocoa Platform have set themselves an ambitious, binding target: "By 2025, at least 80% of the cocoa-containing products imported into Switzerland will come from sustainable cultivation," says Walter Anderau, former president of the CHOCOSUISSE industry association. "This applies to cocoa beans, cocoa liquor, butter and powder, as well as imported finished products. And it requires that cocoa be grown in a socially, environmentally as well as economically sustainable way." In the longer term, the entire physical flow of cocoa-containing products into Switzerland should be sourced from sustainable sources.

Joint sustainability projects

To achieve this goal, the Cocoa Platform promotes joint projects with measurable impact. "The newly established association networks and strengthens the efforts of the private sector, public sector, civil society and research institutions for sustainable cocoa," says Esther Haldimann, Head of Advisory Services at Helvetas and NGO sector representative on the newly elected board. "The platform leverages the expertise of its members to develop and implement innovative solutions. This collaboration strengthens synergies and enables greater impact."

Achieve measurable improvements

The Cocoa Platform aims to achieve measurable improvements in a timely manner. It is therefore focusing its activities on areas where its members have extensive experience and can make a global contribution. Work has already begun to develop solutions in working groups on a number of key issues.

A contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

With its initiative for a sustainable cocoa sector, the Cocoa Platform, which was launched in June 2017, aims to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pursued by UN member states and also by Switzerland. "In the context of the global 2030 Agenda, the new initiative can help improve the living conditions of people in the growing countries and conserve resources," says SECO Director Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch. "An important asset of the Cocoa Platform is that it creates a framework for closer cooperation between the private sector and the public sector. That way, the economic development cooperation we do in various cocoa-growing countries can have more impact."

Strong international networking

The Cocoa Platform is committed to close cooperation with all key stakeholders in the global cocoa sector. It promotes dialogue with local authorities and organizations in the producer countries and coordinates its measures with international and national initiatives. The Cocoa Platform took another important step towards international networking on January 19 at the International Green Week in Berlin, where representatives of the sustainable cocoa initiatives of Germany, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland agreed to work closely together.

The Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa and the German Forum for Sustainable Cocoa signed a joint declaration of intent at the opening event to intensify their cooperation.

The members of the association Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa:

You can find the current directory here