Tony's Chocolonely’s Post

Tony's Chocolonely A significant recognition for the cocoa sector. What stands out is the focus on measurable impact across *farmer livelihoods, *child labour, *deforestation and responsible sourcing For cocoa sustainability to be meaningful, these efforts must continue beyond individual seasons and translate into lasting improvements for farmers, their communities and the cocoa landscape.

Last year Fortune wrote about Tony's Chocolonely and said the two things fueling our growth were: leaning on non-traditional advertising through influencers, and sticking behind our mission of equity and transparency. This year Fortune put us on the Change the World list. That arc means everything to me because every time I work on a creator partnership, every TikTok that turned a chocolate bar into a cultural moment, every campaign built to reach a generation that expects brands to actually stand for something.. that's the work that fuels it. And Fortune just connected the dots: the marketing that grew this brand and the mission that drives it aren't two separate things. They're inextricably interlaced. The mission IS the story, and the story is what makes people care. 50 companies out of ~200 evaluated made it to the list. They were measured on real impact, business results, and whether others are following your lead. So let me just say, 20+ Mission Allies have now joined Tony's Open Chain, ours sourcing model that allows other brands to source their cocoa through our supply chain, according to Tony’s Sourcing Principles. It's spreading. Huge shoutout to Tony's for building a team that doesn't nod along to the mission, but that takes it personally. That's rare and it's a big part of why this works. Check out that original Fortune article here: https://lnkd.in/e9wzdmkJ #FortuneChangeTheWorld #TonysChocolonely

As cocoa supply chains evolve, we have an opportunity to ensure that the value created reaches the farmers at the heart of them. Yesterday at New York Climate Week, I joined the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT for a conversation on rewiring cocoa supply chains and turning traceability and forest protection into value for producers. In the 1970s, a Ghanaian farmer could capture close to half the value of cocoa. Today, farmers in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana capture just 3–6% of the retail value of a chocolate bar. The cocoa economy has created more value over the years, but the share reaching farmers has moved in the opposite direction. As new requirements reshape the sector, we need to ensure that compliance also creates opportunities for farmers, from better market access and finance to rewards for sustainable production. The goal is not simply deforestation-free cocoa. It is cocoa supply chains where forests are protected, farms are more resilient, and farmers can prosper from the value they help create. My full remarks below. #ClimateWeekNYC #Landscapes4Life

Beyond Commerce. At Consolidated Commodities Corporation, we believe that responsible enterprise extends beyond commercial activity. Creating value also means contributing to stronger communities and supporting practical solutions that can create lasting impact. Our areas of focus include: • Food Security & Nutrition • Education & Opportunity • Humanitarian Assistance • Water & Community Resilience We believe meaningful impact starts with listening to communities, working with credible partners, and supporting initiatives with clear objectives and measurable outcomes. The same principles that guide our commercial relationships — integrity, discipline, transparency and accountability— guide our approach to social impact. Because responsible growth is not only about what we trade. It is also about the value we create beyond commerce. #ConsolidatedCommoditiesCorporation #CommunityImpact #SocialImpact #ResponsibleBusiness #Philanthropy #Sustainability

“Post-harvest loss is a material constraint in virtually every one of our investment cases.” That's how Rebecca Mincy, Investment Director at Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund (ARAF), described the challenge in her contribution to ReFED's new Mission Multiplier series. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, ARAF estimates that smallholder farmers can lose 30–40% of produce post-harvest. Those losses reduce farmer income and mean that less food ultimately reaches local markets. Levels of supply also impact affordability. When more of what’s already been produced makes it to market, consumers can benefit through greater food availability and, in some cases, lower prices. The connection looks different when food is wasted further downstream. In the U.S., consumers spend an average of $762 per person each year on food that ultimately goes uneaten. There, preventing household food waste can return purchasing power directly to consumers. Together, these examples show that reducing food loss and waste can improve affordability at multiple points across the food system. Our Affordability spotlight explores these pathways and where philanthropic and investment capital can help. Thanks to Rebecca and the ARAF team for contributing their perspective to the piece! 👉 Read the Affordability spotlight here: https://lnkd.in/ga94q4A6 #FoodWaste #FoodLoss #FoodAffordability #FoodSystems #ImpactInvesting

In this week’s episode of Paul Unscripted, I take a closer look at our Sugar business through the lens of Stop, Start, Continue but there’s one issue that stands above the rest: the sugar tariff. At the time of recording, the tariff had not yet been implemented. It came into effect last Friday, making the conversation in this episode even more relevant. I unpack what the tariff means, how it works and, importantly, why it matters far beyond RCL FOODS. It is about the sustainability and future of South Africa’s sugar industry and protecting the livelihoods of the small-scale growers who are among the most vulnerable in the value chain. Because this isn’t just about our business. It’s about an industry, an ecosystem and the people whose livelihoods depend on.

It was my first time at Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS Forum), the globe's largest forum focused on the systems and people that are deeply connected to our food. It's water, land use, waste, financing, production methods, soil, and 100 other topics. Most of the time, I was doing what the photo depicts: listening and taking notes. I'm leaving with a few reflections: -There is abundant goodwill to improve our food systems! Let's not forget that. We all know the importance of food, and that is a great place to start. -"You cannot reduce what you do not measure" -- an important reminder for those of us working on food loss and waste (The Global FoodBanking Network) -1.4B hectares of food is used to produce food that is never eaten -Climate finance is still a black box for most of us. It's a hope-filled solution, but it's also full of jargon, and it's unclear how farmers or those struggling to afford a healthy diet can benefit from. It was inspiring to see so many African youth involved in the Forum: showcasing their social enterprises, their upcycled products, and bringing forward their ideas. Despite the realities of an impending El Niño, which will reduce yields, and the increasing severity of climate events that impact our food supply, I was left with a strong and abundant sense of hope for our future! No one is going to save us but ourselves, and we better start letting the youth lead us. Onward! (Photo credit to World Resources Institute)

Climate resilience in food supply chains increasingly depends on whether producers can afford to adapt. The The Fairtrade Foundation has launched a UK campaign calling for higher payments and stronger legal protections for overseas farmers producing cocoa, coffee, tea and bananas. It argues that farmers earning below a living income cannot adequately invest in measures such as irrigation, shade trees, soil restoration and crop diversification. The campaign follows Fairtrade-commissioned research showing that 84% of British adults are concerned about climate change affecting the UK’s food supply. Some 74% support increasing payments to farmers to help them respond, while 56% recognise that climate change is contributing to higher prices for products including chocolate, coffee and tea. For chocolate manufacturers and retailers, the findings highlight a difficult commercial balance. Investment in producer resilience must be funded somewhere in the supply chain, while UK households remain under pressure from elevated food, energy and borrowing costs. CocoaRadar’s view is that consumer willingness to pay more may help, but voluntary purchasing decisions alone are unlikely to determine how additional value reaches producers. The wider test is whether brands, retailers and policymakers can improve farmer incomes without placing a disproportionate burden on consumers. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/eqmngjPC #Fairtrade #SupplyChains #ClimateRisk

#Foodsecurity starts with the people who grow our food. For decades, fighting hunger and building resilient food systems have been strategic priorities for the #OPECFund. Today, as climate change, economic uncertainty and other global challenges put renewed pressure on food security, that commitment is more important than ever. In #Zimbabwe, OPEC Fund financing is helping smallholder farmers participate in market-oriented and climate-smart value chains. For farmer Johnny Muchareenyi, adapting to a changing climate has already made a difference: “The problem that we face as farmers is #climatechange, particularly the amount of rain we receive. The only type of rain we usually get is cyclones, or torrential rain. Thanks to the project I have learned to grow biofortified crops and was able to feed my family.” Explore this and other stories from five decades of development in the OPEC Fund’s 50th Anniversary Book: bit.ly/4pROwzl #OPECFund50 #WherePartnershipPowersProgress

Why don't you say the Fairtrade Certification System? Authentic Fair Trade is based on the 10 WFTO (formerly IFAT) Principles. But then as former members (or are you still members) you know that? World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO)