(And Lidl is copying them but failing)
This post has 3 sections:
1. Cocoa supply chains
2. Tony’s Chocolonely
3. Lidl and the difference between Fairtrade and Living Wages.
1. SUPPLY CHAINS
You need to know Cocoa supply chains are a disaster.
One in every second child is engaged in child labor.
That’s 1.56 M children*.
Have systemic underpayment leading to:
→ Child labor
→ Deforestation
→ Not earning a Living Income
2. TONY CHOCOLONELY
Tony’s Chocolonely bars are unequally divided to highlight the inequality within the sourcing of cocoa.
Their mission is to make 100% slave-free the norm in chocolate.
To do this, they are leading by example and has:
→ 100% traceable beans
→ Paid €10.5M in Living Wage premiums.
→ Started Tony’s Open Chain, enabling other brands to source cocoa beans that align with Tony’s 5 principles.
No wonder Lidl is copying the uneven design.
But is Lidl doing the same?
3. LIDL
(Is not a part of Tony’s Open Chain)
This is what you need to know (very highlevel) about wages in cocoa:
→ Minimum Wages: A wage that’s often too low to meet basic needs.
→ Fairtrade premium: An extra amount, but often not enough to support a Living income.
→ Living Wages: A wage that can support a decent living standard. It’s MORE than minimum wages (and often Fairtrade).
INFO: If you want to know more about Living Wages, find out more here: https://lnkd.in/ewwrviAc
While Tony’s are very transparent, (see their website of what they pay in Living wage premiums) it’s extremely difficult to find any specific information from Lidl.
Lidl pay a premium besides fairtrade, that goes to training farmers and developing new farming techniques. Besides that, there is not really much info. (see their website)
IF they are not paying a Living Wages they are not solving the root causes.
That's Greenwashing.
We need more transparency.
👋 I share info about sustainability beyond doing 'no harm'.
Hope you would like to follow.
*In Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire where more than 60% of the world’s cocoa is produced.
(sources: Tony's annual fair report, Lidl and Tony's website)
This post was originally shared by Mads Oscar Haumann on Linkedin.