Editing Cocoa bean (section)

=== Voluntary sustainability standards ===

There are numerous voluntary certifications including [[Fairtrade certification|Fairtrade]] and [[UTZ Certified|UTZ]] (now part of [[Rainforest Alliance]]) for cocoa which aim to differentiate between conventional cocoa production and that which is more sustainable in terms of social, economic and environmental concerns. As of 2016, at least 29% of global cocoa production was compliant with voluntary sustainability standards.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Voora |first1=V. |last2=Bermudez |first2=S. |last3=Larrea |first3=C. |date=2019 |title=Global Market Report: Cocoa|url=https://www.iisd.org/ssi/commodities/cocoa-coverage/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122192509/https://www.iisd.org/ssi/commodities/cocoa-coverage/ |archive-date=22 January 2021 |website=State of Sustainability Initiatives}}</ref> However, among the different certifications there are significant differences in their goals and approaches, and a lack of data to show and compare the results on the farm level. While certifications can lead to increased farm income, the premium price paid for certified cocoa by consumers is not always reflected proportionally in the income for farmers. In 2012 the ICCO found that farm size mattered significantly when determining the benefits of certifications, and that farms an area less than 1ha were less likely to benefit from such programs, while those with slightly larger farms as well as access to member co-ops and the ability to improve productivity were most likely to benefit from certification.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Downloads {{!}} Fair Trade & Organic Cocoa {{!}} Related Documents|url=https://www.icco.org/about-us/international-cocoa-agreements/cat_view/30-related-documents/37-fair-trade-organic-cocoa.html|access-date=15 October 2020|website=www.icco.org|archive-date=26 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926114303/https://www.icco.org/about-us/international-cocoa-agreements/cat_view/30-related-documents/37-fair-trade-organic-cocoa.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Certification often requires high up-front costs, which are a barrier to small farmers, and particularly, female farmers. The primary benefits to certification include improving conservation practices and reducing the use of agrochemicals, business support through cooperatives and resource sharing, and a higher price for cocoa beans which can improve the standard of living for farmers.<ref name="COSA">{{cite web | title=The COSA Measuring Sustainability Report | website=[[Committee on Sustainability Assessment]] | url=http://thecosa.org/publication/the-cosa-measuring-sustainability-report-2/ | access-date=27 June 2022 | location=[[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], United States}}</ref>

[[Fair trade cocoa]] producer groups are established in Belize, Bolivia, Cameroon, the Congo,<ref>{{cite web|title=Gourmet Gardens: Congolese Fair Trade and Organic Cocoa|url=http://www.befair.be/en/content/gourmet-gardens-congolese-fair-trade-and-organic-cocoa|publisher=befair.be}}</ref> Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic,<ref>{{cite web|title=CONACADO: National confederation of cocoa producers|url=http://conacado.com.do/site/index.php|access-date=27 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408040814/http://www.conacado.com.do/site/index.php?lang=en|archive-date=8 April 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Ecuador, Ghana, Haiti, India, Ivory Coast, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Sierra Leone, and São Tomé and Príncipe.

In 2018, the Beyond Chocolate partnership was created between multiple stakeholders in the global cocoa industry to decrease deforestation and provide a living income for cocoa farmers. The many international companies are currently participating in this agreement and the following voluntary certification programs are also partners in the Beyond Chocolate initiative: Rainforest Alliance, [[Fairtrade International|Fairtrade]], ISEAL, BioForum Vlaanderen.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Beyond Chocolate|url=https://www.idhsustainabletrade.com/initiative/beyondchocolate/|access-date=1 November 2020|website=IDH – the sustainable trade initiative}}</ref>

Many major chocolate production companies around the world have started to prioritize buying fair trade cocoa by investing in fair trade cocoa production, improving fair trade cocoa supply chains and setting purchasing goals to increase the proportion of fair trade chocolate available in the global market.<ref>{{cite web|last=Nieburg|first=Oliver|date=8 June 2016|title=Ferrero to double Fairtrade cocoa purchases|url=http://www.confectionerynews.com/Commodities/Ferrero-to-double-Fairtrade-cocoa-purchases|website=Confectionery News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|year=2005|title=The News on Chocolate is Bittersweet: No Progress on Child Labor, but Fair Trade Chocolate is on the Rise|url=http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/chocolatereport05.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100910224949/http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/chocolatereport05.pdf|archive-date=10 September 2010|access-date=1 July 2010|website=Global Exchange}}</ref><ref>[http://www.cadbury.com/ourresponsibilities/fairtrade/Pages/fairtrade.aspx "Fairtrade Cadbury Dairy Milk Goes Global as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand take Fairtrade Further Into Mainstream".] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100730065051/http://www.cadbury.com/ourresponsibilities/fairtrade/Pages/fairtrade.aspx|date=30 July 2010}} Cadbury PLC 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Nieburg|first=Oliver|date=19 November 2012|title=Mondelez pumps $400m in sustainable cocoa supply chain|url=http://www.confectionerynews.com/Commodities/Mondelez-pumps-400m-in-sustainable-cocoa-supply-chain|website=Confectionery News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Nieburg|first=Oliver|date=20 June 2016|title=Cocoa sector remains 'far from' from sustainable|url=http://www.confectionerynews.com/Trends/Sustainable-Sourcing/Cocoa-sector-remains-far-from-from-sustainable|website=Confectionery News}}</ref>

The Rainforest Alliance lists the following goals as part of their certification program:<ref>{{cite web|title=Our Work|url=https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/our-work/|publisher=Rainforest Alliance|access-date=7 March 2025}}</ref>

* [[Forest protection]] and [[sustainable land management]]
* Improve rural livelihoods to reduce poverty
* Address human rights issues such as child labor, gender inequality and indigenous land rights

The UTZ Certified-program (now part of Rainforest Alliance) included counteracting against child labor and exploitation of cocoa workers, requiring a code of conduct in relation to social and environmentally friendly factors, and improvement of farming methods to increase profits and salaries of farmers and distributors.<ref name="Certification for Farmers">{{cite web|title=Certification for Farmers|url=http://www.utz.org/what-we-offer/sector-change/child-labor/ |publisher=UTZ}}</ref>