Regarding the responsibility for the people in our value chain, we primarily focus on working and living conditions in the cocoa growing regions. Challenges for local farmers include low income, low level of education, lack of knowledge to efficiently manage a cocoa plantation and child labor.
We are collaborating with CABOZ, an association of cocoa farmers in the Ivory Coast since 2014. The mission of CABOZ is to help improve living conditions in the rural communities of Ivorian cocoa producers by financing and implementing projects focusing on health, access to drinking water, education, empowerment of women and local communities, and income-generating activities. By working closely with CABOZ, we can assess the various challenges better and deal with them in a cooperative and pragmatic way. We purchased 1500 tons of cocoa beans from CABOZ in 2019.