In recent days, a few articles about Tony's Chocolonely have appeared in the media. Critical articles that raise questions and discussion, including with us. We like a critical attitude, that keeps us sharp and makes us better. That is why it is also one of our own core values, together with enterprising, quirky & with a little fun along the way. You can read below how we put this into practice.
Critical about slavery
In the articles we receive criticism on various points, such as that the problem of poverty among cocoa farmers has not yet been solved, or that 'fair' has become an empty term . We absolutely agree with that, in fact, it is precisely that that motivates us to show that making chocolate can really be done differently.
However, there is one important point of criticism that we are downright angry about. Namely, slavery as Tony's marketing ploy. Tony's was founded in 2005 out of the frustration that slavery still existed in the cocoa world and continues to exist today. Forced labor, exploitation, children who do not go to school and do too hard or dangerous work, that is what we call modern slavery at Tony's. This definition follows local law and international conventions.
We find denial of this problem short-sighted and even worrying. By drawing attention to this problem, we want to make consumers aware of the abuses in the chocolate world and keep the industry aware of its responsibility. If only this was nothing more than a marketing ploy.
Entrepreneurial chocolate makers
It is difficult for small-scale cocoa farmers to earn enough money from cocoa and this is one of the main causes of modern slavery. We are determined to change this. Precisely by being a commercially successful company. That is why we have a profit target of 4% (last year this was 1.1%). And so money is a means for us to get other companies moving and following our example.
Entrepreneurial also means taking responsibility and not just doing charity work. We enter into a business relationship with the cocoa farmers. For example, if farmers cannot deliver the agreed kilos due to local problems or cocoa beans of too low quality, we can also pay them less than we both had hoped. But we will then also take steps to prevent this from happening next season.
A better price
Last year, in collaboration with True Price, we calculated how much a professional farmer must earn to raise his income above the poverty line. This turned out to be feasible with an extra premium of 25% (directly for the farmer) and investments in improving production. This year we will pay an extra 25% to the cooperatives. Ultimately, this 25% must go directly to the farmer, and to really have an impact, even more is needed. Namely investing in farmers, cooperatives and communities.
Most farmers now only produce 30% of what they could actually do. At current production, even with a better price, they are still poor. That is why it is very important to also invest in agricultural training, fertilizer and strong cooperatives so that farmers can work better together. Because if farmers produce more, they have more income.
Idiosyncratic choices
For us, idiosyncratic means that we choose our own path and sometimes we make different choices than others.
More than Fairtrade
We have opted for Fairtrade certification, but see this only as a starting point. And we also believe that the Fairtrade system could be made a bit more efficient. We therefore have critical discussions with Fairtrade about this. We think it is especially important that companies take their own responsibility and do not hide behind a label. Only if all causes of slavery are addressed can the problems actually be solved. This goes further than just certification.
Tony's premium
Tony's chooses to pay a premium that is more than 2x higher than the average premium paid in the industry. We are certainly aware that this has not yet solved the poverty problem, but this is another step in the right direction.
Long-term relationships
We remain a loyal partner, even if the farmers are unable to keep agreements. We enter into a long-term relationship of at least 5 years with the farmer cooperatives. We want to purchase their entire harvest during that period. And if there are any problems with the delivery, we will look together at how we can solve this.
With a little fun along the way
We seem like a serious club. We are, but we don't take ourselves too seriously. Because no matter how serious our mission and the relationship with our partners are, we above all enjoy what we do. And we don't hide that. For example, we organize an annual Fair and we are the main sponsor of the Blaisekro Sud youth team. Above all, we want everyone to be happy with chocolate. You, Mr. de Vries, Mrs. Donkersloot, us and especially the farmer!
Are we there yet?
At the end of this blog, yes. To achieving our mission, no! We have only just started our direct relationships with farmers and are proud of what we have already achieved. But structural change requires patience. Luckily we have that. Would you like to know exactly what steps we have taken, or what steps we are still going to take? Then click here.
One thing is certain, we are Crazy about chocolate & Serious about people and continue to fight for a 100% slave-free chocolate industry. But only together we make a difference.