As a Lindt & Sprüngli group company, we at Ghirardelli comply with the group's sustainability standards.
Sustainability
High quality cocoa is at the heart of our chocolate. It is our most important raw material, and we are committed to sourcing it responsibly. That's why we developed our own sustainability program for cocoa, the Lindt and Sprüngli Farming Program. Through the Farming Program, we aim to contribute to creating decent and resilient livelihoods for cocoa farmers and their families and to encourage more sustainable farming practices.
High Quality Cocoa is at the Heart of Our Chocolate
We, at Lindt & Sprüngli, produce our own cocoa mass, which is a key ingredient for chocolate production. This allows us to oversee the entire production process: from the selection and sourcing of cocoa beans to the cocoa mass (also called cocoa liquor) and the finished product. This means our chocolate is produced from 'bean to bar'.
Since 2020, we have been sourcing 100% of our cocoa beans through our Farming Program (excluding Russell Stover). We extended the Farming Program to include cocoa butter in 2021 and cocoa powder in 2022. Our aim is to source 100% of cocoa products which includes beans, butter, powder, and chocolate mass through the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program or other sustainability programs by 2025.
Our Target
We aim to source 100% of cocoa products (beans, butter, powder, and chocolate mass) through the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program or other sustainability programs by 2025. In the reporting year 2023, we sourced a total of 68.2% of cocoa bean equivalents through our Farming Program.
Farming Program Farmers
A total of 131,000 cocoa farmers from our cocoa origin countries are part of the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program.
Our Investments
In 2023, we invested a total of CHF 29.8 million into cocoa sustainability, of which CHF 26.8 million was paid to cocoa suppliers for operating our Farming Program.
Our Farming Program in Detail
The Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program consists of four pillars
- Pillar 1 - Traceability and farmer organization
- Pillar 2 - Training and knowledge transfer
- Pillar 3 - Farmer investments and community development
- Pillar 4 - Verification and continuous progress
Learn more on our Farming Program website about the steps we are taking to improve the lives of our farmers, their families and communities.
Our Farming Program in Detail
The Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program consists of four pillars:
Pillar 1 - Tracing our beans
Pillar 2 - Training the farmers
Pillar 3 - Investments for farmers and communities
Pillar 4 - Independently verifying our Program
Visit our Farming Program website to learn more about the steps we are taking to support cocoa farmers, their families, and communities.
Empowerment Through Education
Since 2008, Lindt & Sprüngli has built or refurbished a total of 50 schools across all origin countries benefiting approximately 9,700 children.
Clean and Safe Water Access
Approximately 158,000 community members benefit from 250 drinking water systems and boreholes built and functioning since 2008.
Support for Farmers and Their Families
990 passionate field staff work with cocoa farmers in the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program.
