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The company has achieved Silver and Bronze equivalency under the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) scheme. This scheme is led by the SAI Platform (saiplatform.org), a global initiative that helps companies assess and improve sustainability practices across agricultural supply chains. The FSA evaluates environmental, social, and economic factors to guide responsible sourcing decisions. This milestone reinforces Barry Callebaut’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and responsible sourcing.
The Sustainable Hazelnut Charter outlines comprehensive criteria for sustainable sourcing, supported by third-party verification to ensure independence and provide greater assurance to customers. Developed in collaboration with SureHarvest, the Charter emphasizes continuous improvement with suppliers in both environmental and social sustainability. It was tested during the 2024 hazelnut harvest in Turkey and audited by an independent third party to enhance future implementation.
Recognizing the risks of child labor and forced labor in certain hazelnut-growing regions, the Charter follows the OECD human rights due diligence approach, requiring the establishment of a management system to assess and address adverse environmental and social impacts within the business and its supply chain. This includes implementing prevention, mitigation, and remediation measures to promote responsible sourcing. Additionally, this initiative supports the goal of achieving full OECD Due Diligence coverage across the supply chain by 2025.
By achieving equivalence with widely recognized industry standards like FSA, the company sets a clear benchmark for sustainability across the hazelnut industry, providing customers with assurances of ongoing improvements on farms.
"Congratulations to Barry Callebaut who has become the first SAI Platform member company to achieve FSA benchmarked status for a hazelnut-specific sustainability sourcing program. This is a significant milestone, but one that reflects Barry Callebaut’s tireless work in improving the sustainability of hazelnut production in Turkey. For growers, this brings extra validation of their efforts, whilst it allows Barry Callebaut to demonstrate its continued commitment towards fostering more sustainable value chains."
Joe Iveson, FSA Manager at SAI Platform
"We commend Barry Callebaut for achieving equivalence between their Sustainable Hazelnut Sourcing program and SAI Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment. Their dedication to responsible sourcing is evident in the development of a comprehensive program with a robust verification process that aligns with the FSA’s harmonized industry approach."
Eric Harris, Executive Vice President of SureHarvest
As part of its Forever Chocolate sustainability strategy, the Sustainable Hazelnut Charter supports Barry Callebaut’s commitment to achieving 100% sustainably sourced raw materials by 2030. Through these efforts, the company continues to uphold human rights, promote environmental stewardship, and improve the well-being of farming communities and workers worldwide.
"We believe that long-term sustainability goes hand in hand with creating value for farmers, employees, shareholders, customers, suppliers, and the communities we work with. Sustainability is deeply embedded in our business, and our ‘Forever Chocolate’ strategy is designed to drive lasting, positive impact across the cocoa and chocolate supply chain. The Sustainable Hazelnut Charter is a key part of this commitment, helping us build a more resilient and responsible industry."
Sonja Frommenwiler, Head of Responsible Sourcing, Barry Callebaut
About SureHarvest
Founded in 1999, SureHarvest (sureharvest.com) envisions a sustainable future driven by informed food choices. As a division of Where Food Comes From (WFCF), SureHarvest helps food and agriculture partners define, measure, and achieve their sustainability goals through expert consulting, data analytics, and technology solutions. Guided by the belief that sustainable farming should be recognized and rewarded, SureHarvest delivers actionable insights that drive meaningful change in the agri-food industry.
About Barry Callebaut Group
With annual sales of about CHF 10.5 billion in fiscal year 2023/24, the Zurich-based Barry Callebaut Group (barry-callebaut.com) is the world’s leading manufacturer of chocolate and cocoa products from sourcing and processing cocoa beans to producing the finest chocolates, including chocolate fillings, decorations and compounds. The Group runs more than 60 production facilities worldwide and employs a diverse and dedicated global workforce of more than 13,000 people. The Barry Callebaut Group serves the entire food industry, from industrial food manufacturers to artisanal and professional users of chocolate, such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakers, hotels, restaurants or caterers. The global brands catering to the specific needs of these Gourmet customers are Callebaut® and Cacao Barry®, Carma® and the decorations specialist Mona Lisa®. The Barry Callebaut Group is committed to make sustainable chocolate the norm to help ensure future supplies of cocoa and improve farmer livelihoods. It supports the Cocoa Horizons Foundation in its goal to shape a sustainable cocoa and chocolate future.
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