Our Action Plan

Certification

There are various certification systems under way to recognise cocoa farmers who are operating in accordance with higher quality standards, and as a result, giving these farms and farmer organisations a form of official certification as well as better prices for their cocoa.

Certification is a good way to reward farmers and their organisations for producing cocoa in a sustainable manner. But it also gives consumers added assurance that the cocoa was produced under proper conditions.

However, certification needs resources. Moreover, to work effectively, farmers need to be organised into groups such as cooperatives who can then carry out much of the administration needed for certificate holders. In order to qualify, farmers also need to have been taught good farming practices. There’s therefore still a long way to go before certification becomes widespread. That said, all the work of The Cocoa Plan extends far beyond those farms included in certification.