Waitrose has partnered with Tony’s Chocolonely to source nine own brand chocolate bars through Tony’s Open Chain, supporting more sustainable cocoa sourcing throughout the industry.
Waitrose is the first UK retailer to join Tony’s Open Chain as a Mission Ally, following global brands such as Ben & Jerry’s and Albert Heijn.
By joining Tony’s Open Chain, Waitrose commits to the brand’s five sourcing principles, including rigorous sourcing standards. As a collaborative initiative, Mission Allies compete on chocolate but collaborate on cocoa.
“We’re proud to be the first UK retailer to join Tony’s Chocolonely in their mission to end exploitation in cocoa, but we definitely hope we aren’t the last,” says Waitrose Commercial Director Charlotte Di Cello.
“Joining as a Mission Ally is crucial to helping set a new industry standard, in a world where sustainability is no longer optional but essential, we want to not just meet but exceed our customers’ expectations for responsibly and ethically sourced, high-quality food across the UK and international supply chains.”
All Tony’s Open Chain cocoa is Fairtrade certified, and as part of Waitrose’s ambition to reduce the living income gap for cocoa farmers, the retailer has paid an additional premium on top of the Fairtrade certified bean price to reach the Living Income Reference Price.
According to Tony’s, the cocoa is also verified deforestation free, reduces child labour from 46.7% (industry average) to 4.4%, and contributes 62% to cocoa household income in Côte d’Ivoire.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Waitrose as a new mission ally in Tony’s Open Chain,” says Tony’s Open Chain Head of Sales Sanne Van Zon-Arts.
“Being the first UK retailer to join us, Waitrose will pave the way for changing the norm in cocoa and offering consumers more opportunities to choose responsible chocolate for which farmers are paid the living income reference price.
“Together, we will make significant impact and take serious steps to end exploitation in cocoa.”
The new chocolate range is now available across all UK stores, recognisable by the yellow Tony’s Open Chain ‘button’ on the front of pack.
