Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program
Our commitment to sustainability starts with a bean, a tree, and a farmer.
Our promise
Sustainability plays a key role at Lindt & Sprüngli. For us, economic success, environmental protection and social responsibility go hand in hand. This is reflected in our commitment to sustainability along the entire value chain and in our sustainability promise:
„All the products that leave our factories will ultimately live up to our commitment to sustainability along the entire value chain.“
Our approach
High-quality cocoa beans are the heart of our chocolates. We, at Lindt & Sprüngli, take on responsibility from the selection of the cocoa beans to the production of the finished chocolate products –
from “bean to bar”. That's why we developed our own sustainability program for cocoa beans: the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program. The cocoa beans in Lindt & Sprüngli's chocolates come from the Farming Program. The Program strives for ecologically and socially responsible cultivation and supports farmers, their families and their communities.
100% of our cocoa beans are traceable back to their origin and externally verified.
This allows us to support farmers and their communities based on their specific needs. It empowers farmers to manage their farms in accordance with sound agricultural, social, ecological, and economic practices. The engagement enables farmers to increase their yields and income, shows them how land for agriculture can be safeguarded in the long-term, and fosters access to farming equipment and village infrastructure.
Introducing the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program
Start of the Farming Program
in Ghana, with focus on traceability
and community development.
Extension of the Farming Program
to cover four pillars: traceability, training,
community support and verification.
Lindt Cocoa Foundation
is established.
Start of the Farming Program
in Ecuador.
Start of the Farming Program
in Madagascar.
Cocoa bean supply chain from Ghana
is 100% traceable and externally verified.
Start of the Farming Program
in Papua New Guinea.
Start of the Farming Program in the Dominican Republic.
All countries from which Lindt & Sprüngli sources cocoa beans are now part of the Farming Program.
Launch of the No-Deforestation and
Agroforestry Action Plan for Cocoa.
Interim goal reached:
100% traceable and externally verified cocoa bean supply
By 2025, 100% of cocoa will be sourced through sustainability programs.
Countries covered by the Farming Program
Lindt & Sprüngli sources its high-quality cocoa beans from the world's most renowned cocoa origins such as Ghana, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Madagascar and Papua New Guinea. The Farming Program is in place in all countries we source from.
In our countries of origins, cocoa production faces deep-rooted challenges. Small farms, old and diseased cocoa trees as well as limited agricultural practices can result in low yields and not enough income for farmers and their families. Poor infrastructure and a lack of access to farming equipment make production even more difficult. Finally, environmental challenges such as climate change and deforestation are crucial issues.
It is our priority to tackle these challenges and take on responsibility for a sustainable cocoa cultivation.
2008
2014
2015
2017
2018
The Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program consists of four pillars
Pillar 1: Traceability and farmer organization
To create a positive impact for the farmers in our supply chain, we need to know where our cocoa beans come from. Therefore, our Program starts with:
Registering farmers and organizing them in groups for Program implementation
Gathering baseline data about farms (incl. GPS coordinates), farmers, and communities to assess their needs and design the Program
Establishing a sound traceability system of cocoa beans from the cocoa farmers all the way to our factory doors
Pillar 2: Training and knowledge transfer
The Program helps the farmers to improve and professionalize their way of farming by giving training and transferring knowledge. Around 440 passionate Program Trainers work with the cocoa farmers in the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program.
Through theoretical and practical training and coaching, farmers are enabled to professionalize:
including planting, maintenance, harvesting, fermentation, and drying of cocoa beans
such as protection of biodiversity and the environment
and sensitization to topics such as health, safety, labor standards, and child labor
including bookkeeping, farm management, and income diversification
Pillar 3: Farmer investments
In order to enable farmers to diversify and increase their income as well as improve their resilience, the Program provides:
Productive and disease-resistant cocoa seedlings, as well as multi-purpose shade trees
In-kind premiums (e.g., farming tools and inputs) or cash premiums
Access to financial knowledge and services
Support for generating additional income through trainings and starting capital
Pillar 3: Community development
In order to support communities in their development, the Program provides:
Access to drinking water through construction of water systems and boreholes
Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation (CLMR), including primary school refurbishment
Pillar 4: Verification and continuous progress
For the purpose of assuring the effectiveness and credibility of the Program, a structured internal and external evaluation takes place:
Internal monitoring by Program field staff based on yearly visits to all farmers in the Program to evaluate the progress of farmers’ agricultural, social, ecological, and economic practices
Annual external assessment by the Earthworm Foundation, including visits to each origin
Identification, discussion, and implementation of corrective actions based on data gathered and the external assessment results for continuous improvement of the Program
Where we stand in terms of verification and traceability
In 2020, we achieved a 100% traceable and externally verified cocoa bean supply chain.
2017
92% cocoa beans traceable and verified cocoa beans traceable
2018
97% cocoa beans traceable and verified cocoa beans traceable
2019
97% cocoa beans traceable and verified cocoa beans traceable
2020
100% cocoa beans traceable and verified cocoa beans traceable
