November 30, 2018 – Albert Heijn is partnering with Swiss chocolate maker Barry Callebaut and ethical chocolate company Tony’s Chocolonely to make Albert Heijn’s own-brand Delicata chocolate fully traceable starting in March 2019.
Under the new partnership, Delicata will be made from fully traceable cocoa that will be bought at a higher price from the Tony’s Chocolonely cooperatives in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Barry Callebaut, meanwhile, which has been making chocolate for both Albert Heijn and Tony’s Chocolonely for years, will use the separate sourcing chain it set up for Tony’s to produce Albert Heijn’s chocolate.
"We want to make a difference. That is why we consider it important to structurally contribute to a better life for cocoa farmers,” said Henk van Harn, VP of Sustainable Sourcing, Non-Food and Buying Alliances for Albert Heijn, emphasizing that the recipe and taste of Delicata will not change.
Albert Heijn is the first company to join Tony's “open chain” platform, which will offer participating businesses knowledge and tools to source responsibly and help make ethical labor practices the norm.
Extreme poverty is the root cause of social abuses in the cocoa industry. Tony's Chocolonely is calling for companies to go beyond certification and pay a higher price for cocoa to provide farmers with a livable income.
"Together you make more impact,” said Henk Jan Beltman, Chief Chocolate Officer of Tony's Chocolonely. “I am particularly proud that Albert Heijn and Barry Callebaut go with us on our roadmap to sustainable chocolate.”
