Have you heard of the “cocoa problem tree”?
It actually points out that the (sadly) well-known environmental and social issues the industry is facing “both stand on a tree trunk of farmer poverty”.
The 2022 Cacao Barometer reveals that to reach “systemic changes and improvement” and to “bridge the income gap”, a holistic approach needs to be pursued, considering of course better farming practices (as it has been mostly done so far) but also tackling good governance policies by public bodies and good purchasing practices by the private sector.
To ensure your sustainable sourcing strategy is effective, never forget to take into account the farmers on-the-ground reality!
