It builds on an earlier partnership between the firms from 2005, whereby Barry Callebaut supplies Fairtrade cocoa liquor from partner cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
Barry Callebaut has installed a dedicated cocoa butter tank at its factory in Wieze, Belgium, as part of the latest deal.
Slave-free model for the industry
Eva Gouwens, ‘First Lady of Chocolate’ at Tony’s Chocolonely, said her company’s chocolate was now fully traceable.
“It is our mission to make 100% slave free chocolate the norm in the industry,” she said.
“It is possible. So we invite the rest of the industry to join us in making chocolate 100% slave free,” the First Lady continued.
She said that Tony’s Chocolonely directly sourced from partner cooperatives, paid a higher price and had long-term contracts with farmers.
Barry Callebaut and sustainable cocoa
Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of Barry Callebaut, called the deal a “milestone” in Barry Callebaut’s efforts to supply sustainable cocoa.
According to the company’s latest Chocolate Sustainability Report 2014/15, it sourced 159,000 metric tons of sustainable cocoa. Around 17% of cocoa beans are sourced through sustainability programs, it says.
Barry Callebaut this month expanded its Cocoa Horizons program in Ghana through its wholly owned subsidiary, Nyonkopa Cocoa Buying Limited, which was acquired by Barry Callebaut in 2015.
Barry Callebaut aims to include 22,000 farmers in its Ghana program by 2017. Around 7,500 are currently enrolled.