What is cocoa traceability and which systems are in place to achieve it? A series of four case studies that are co-developed by IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative, the Belgian Initiative Beyond Chocolate Partnership, the Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa (SWISSCO), the Dutch Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (DISCO) and the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (GISCO) explore in more detail how companies and standard setting organizations are implementing traceability in their operations. The studies complement the previously published Technical Brief on Cocoa Traceability which provides an overview of existing traceability systems, as well as recommendations for a more transparent and traceable cocoa supply chain.

Cocoa traceability is essential to improve the accountability and sustainability of the cocoa sector. Over the past years, several actors in the cocoa value chain have started designing and implementing traceability systems. Each of the four recently published case studies focuses on a specific theme relevant to the role of that actor in the cocoa supply chain, including certification body (Fairtrade International), trader (Cargill), primary processers (Barry Callebaut) and consumer brand (Mondelez International). The studies consider their approach to traceability and the technology used by their traceability systems.

Click here to read the technical brief and the case studies.