buy raw cocoa beans from fair trade companies

RAW MATERIALS - The cocoa market is in transition
Because the disputed speculation in agricultural commodities, not only among development experts, the chocolate industry is based on fair trade and eco-labels. Image building or real new beginning?
Of the freshly harvested cocoa beans in the Ivory Coast through to the final baked cookie in Germany there is a long way - geographically and economically. That is often reflected only a fraction of sales revenue in the income of cocoa farmers at the beginning of the supply chain, also knows the confectionery specialist Bahlsen. The more it was important to improve the situation of producers through fair trade: "The company has a great responsibility towards society and the environment."
What sounds a little solemn, has a serious background in the Hanoverians. The world cocoa market - similar to coffee, tea and other tropical fruits - from moody prices that marked changeable qualities and enormous purchasing power of the North. But now Europe's chocolate companies also want to take advantage of the boom of allowances for new Fair Trade and organic standards.
Fair trade
Everything just image-building? Not at any rate says Kristine Adams of Bahlsen. In early July started the bakery company with more than 2,500 people shopping on the basis of the cocoa-UTZ labels - one of the "most sustainable initiatives in the agricultural sector." Fair trade cocoa in form is usually more expensive, but often coupled with environmental and business management training for cocoa farmers.
Basically, the economy gets backing from the label operators. "No company can afford these days still to ignore the issue of corporate responsibility," according to Fair Trade Germany. The credibility but could only be secured if it is regular, transparent controls.
Cocoa demand picks up.


The Society for International Cooperation (GIC), the development projects on behalf of the federal government's implementation provides all the advantages of improvement. "We have the fortunate situation that the demand increases for sustainable cocoa," says Philip Schukat GIC employees. Fair Trade could help some small farmers in Africa, child labor on plantations to fight. But the causes of underdevelopment went deeper, fair trade is just one of many antidotes. "It is a building block, not a panacea."

Children in a village in the Ivory Coast come from field work. The country produces the most cocoa worldwide. 30 percent of the cocoa beans come from there.
Importers share this view. Rodger Wegner, managing director of the association of companies involved in the Rohkakaohandel Hamburg sees the Fair Trade movement as an expression of no-gooders. Rather it was about tangible improvements in the management and conservation.
Farmers at the center
"Without productivity and income growth for farmers will be more difficult to harvest sufficient quantities and qualities in order to meet growing world demand," said Wegner. Not least, German food manufacturers are in a duty - after the Federal Republic within the EU, with over a third of the chocolate produced goods, the number one.
Currently prevails on the price front was quiet again. "The level has regressed compared to 2011," says the cocoa-specialist. The price per tonne of cocoa beans was due to the large agricultural exchanges in New York and London at 1,500 British pounds. Especially since the debt crisis could push the consumer and drive the political crisis in Ivory Coast the price - Future antics were not excluded.
Speculators bring unrest
For the confectionery industry's roller-coaster ride has become a problem. Previously it was based on the weather, harvest and assess the political situation in the growing areas, as will the price. But since then, speculators have acquired a taste for shopping and store large quantities of cocoa, and sell at high prices, scarcity no longer apply the old rules.
"You'd need a crystal ball, in principle," Ritter Sport CEO Alfred Knight describes the happy dilemma. For him there is no question, mitzumischen on the commodities market, "you can not play with your food." The Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg (LBBW) takes this to heart: After public criticism of speculation in agricultural commodities, they recently announced to retire from this business.
High standards are expensive
The jump to one hundred percent use of Fairtrade cocoa, however, have so far only a few dared. This includes the Austrian chocolate manufacturer Zotter. "The cocoa-working operation, we have a responsibility for living and working conditions of farmers in the Third World," warns chief executive Josef Zotter.
The high standards have a price, however: Most Zotter chocolates cost more than four euros per 100 grams and are therefore driven mainly by small chocolate shops and cafes. In the supermarket can hardly enforce such prices: where customers respond to price increases already sensitive from five cents.


Nestlé has for the first time can examine its supply of cocoa beans. The result confirms the worst fears: child labor and exploitation are rife. TV documentary about the cocoa cultivation in the Ivory Coast, where, according to UNICEF, working up to 200 000 children.

Have a break, have a KitKat? Maybe not better, if you know what's inside: Nestle chocolate used in the manufacture of its cocoa beans from the Ivory Coast. There toil according to information of the UN Children's Fund UNICEF, up to 200 000 children on plantations, in part, without pay, and some as outright slavery. They work with primitive machetes, causing injuries and over again.

The grievances have long been known, but only now has an independent testing laboratory, the supply of the most remote villages in West Africa to the Nestlé headquarters in Vevey systematically scrutinized and documented the results clean.

All take part, nobody wants to be responsible

Chocolate manufacturers like Nestle had promised back in 2001 to eradicate child labor in the industry - with modest success as the report of the Fair Labor Organization (FLA) is now showing. When Nestlé last year because of the cocoa-topic again came under pressure, allowed them to examine the non-profit organization, their supply chains in the Ivory Coast, a first in the industry.

"Nestlé is now taking over responsibility," says Auret van Heerden FLA President in a statement. That everyone steals with reference to the others off the hook, have tolerated it too long. FLA emphasized in this context, having first taken the whole process, "planting, harvesting, drying, transporting and selling - now we know exactly at what point is violated labor law," it says.

One person alone can not solve the problems

The world's largest food manufacturer wants the fight against child labor "top priority" to make: "We are convinced that in our supply chain, child labor has no place, and are determined to banish the practice of our cocoa supply," said Nestle spokesman Philippe Aeschlimann upon request. By 2016, all suppliers in the Ivory Coast a systematic monitoring system shall be subject.

Both Nestle and FLA emphasize that a company not only the problems in the Ivory Coast can solve. To effectively combat child labor is needed, especially support for the government. Not least against the background of millions of business with the cocoa beans it came in the West African country, on which account for around one third of world production, but always civil strife.