The Lindt & Sprüngli
Farming Program
What is the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program about?
The responsible sourcing of cocoa, our most important raw material, is a key commitment of our sustainability strategy. That is why the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program was launched in 2008. Through the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program, we implement actions under one single program aiming to contribute to the creation of decent and resilient livelihoods for cocoa farmers and their families and to encourage more sustainable farming practices. To implement the Farming Program, we work closely with our suppliers and other external partners.
In 2024, we sourced 84.2% of cocoa bean equivalents – beans, butter, powder – through the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program or other responsible sourcing programs, 61.3% were sourced through the Farming Program. We aim to source 100% of cocoa products – beans, butter, powder, and chocolate mass – through the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program or other responsible sourcing programs by 2025.
Challenges & our objectives
In cocoa-producing countries, cocoa production faces deep-rooted challenges. Small farms and old or diseased cocoa trees can result in low yields and insufficient income for farmers and their families. Poor infrastructure and a lack of access to farming equipment can make production even more difficult. Finally, environmental challenges such as climate change and deforestation are impacting cocoa producing countries. The Farming Program consists of a complementary set of actions addressing the economic, social, and environmental aspects of cocoa production, with the aim of contributing to three main objectives:
We aim to achieve our objectives through initiatives aimed at facilitating higher productivity of farms, farmer premiums, access to finance, diversified household incomes, community development and improved infrastructure, preservation of biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and reduced risk of child labor.
Our approach – 4 pillars
The Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program builds on four pillars:
Tracing our beans
We register cocoa farmers, map the cocoa farms and trace the journey of the cocoa beans from the origin all the way to our chocolate factories. Knowing where our beans come from allows us to better understand the farmers’ local environment and community needs.
Registering farmers
Gathering baseline data about farms (incl. farm GPS coordinates and farm polygons), farmers, and communities to assess their needs and design the program
Establishing a sound traceability system of cocoa beans from the cocoa origins all the way to our factory doors
Training the farmers
We support farmers by training them in cultivation techniques that respect the environment and people. This aims at empowering the farmers and helping them to further develop their skills and expertise in the following practices.
Agricultural practices, including planting, maintenance, harvesting, fermentation, and drying of cocoa beans
Environmental practices, such as protection of biodiversity and the environment
Social practices and sensitization to topics such as health, safety, labor standards, and child labor
Business practices, including bookkeeping, farm management, and income diversification
Investments for farmers and communities
We invest in the program to support cocoa farmers, their families, and their communities, his includes the provision of:
Productive and disease-resistant cocoa seedlings, as well as multi-purpose shade trees and farming equipment, to increase farm productivity and resilience
Cash or in-kind premiums for farmers in addition to paying the market price for cocoa (e.g., farming tools and inputs)
Access to financial knowledge and services including support of Village Saving & Loan Associations
Support for generating additional income through trainings and starting capital
Access to drinking water through construction of water systems and boreholes
Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS), including investments in education infrastructure
Independently verifying our program
The Farming Program activities get evaluated by an independent external organization. This outside perspective helps us evaluate the program’s effectiveness and continuously improve.
Annual internal monitoring of all cocoa farmers to assess their compliance with Farming Program requirements and evaluate their progress
Annual external assessment by an independent third party
Identification, discussion, and implementation of corrective actions based on data gathered for continuous improvement of the Program
