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The Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program

We, at Lindt & Sprüngli, oversee the chocolate making process from the selection of the cocoa beans to the production of the finished chocolate products – from “bean to bar”. High-quality cocoa is the heart of our chocolate. That is why we developed our own sustainability program: The Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program.

Commitment towards Sustainability

For our key raw materials, especially our cocoa, we make special efforts to ensure a sustainable, and socially responsible, supply chain. This is reflected in our commitment towards sustainability along the entire value chain and our Lindt & Sprüngli Promise that all products that leave our factories will ultimately live up to our commitment to sustainability.

Challenges in Cocoa Countries of Origin

In our countries of origin, 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 makes production even more difficult. Environmental challenges such as climate change and deforestation also significantly impact cocoa production.

It is our priority to tackle these challenges and take responsibility for sustainable cocoa cultivation. That's why we developed our own sustainability program for cocoa - the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program. But what does traceability mean for Lindt & Sprüngli?

Our Farming Program

The Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program enables us to trace our cocoa beans back to their origin and support farmers and their communities based on their specific needs. Through the Farming Program, we aim to create decent and resilient livelihoods for cocoa farmers and their families and to encourage more sustainable farming practices. To achieve this vision, our Program deploys measures to facilitate higher productivity, support diversification of household incomes, improve community infrastructure, reduce the risk of child labor, and address deforestation.

After achieving our target of sourcing 100% of our cocoa beans through the Farming Program in 2020, we expanded the Farming Program to include sustainable sourcing of cocoa butter in 2021. For our responsibly sourced cocoa butter, we aim for a physical traceability approach based on segregation. Conventional and sustainable cocoa are strictly separated and the origin of delivered butter batches are known when delivered to Lindt & Sprüngli. Throughout 2022, we increased our share of traceable cocoa butter from 37% to 44%. For the first time we also sourced cocoa powder through sustainability programs (5%) in 2022.