It’s now or never: farmers need the industry’s commitment
This past year, we proved something super important: even in the cocoa industry’s toughest season in decades, real change IS possible if we all commit to paying cocoa farmers a higher price long term. ’Cause that’s exactly how we keep increasing our impact here at Tony’s, year after year. But we need the entire industry to join us to achieve our mission. It’s now or never.
You might’ve seen it in the news – cocoa harvests in West Africa hit a historic low in 2024/2025, causing prices to spike and pushing farmers to the edge. But even in crisis, our impact grew bigger than ever before, reaching tens of thousands of cocoa-farming families in Côte d’Ivoire + Ghana.
And that’s all thanks to you: the choco fans choosing our chocolate, and our 20+ Mission Allies sourcing their cocoa ethically through Tony’s Open Chain (= our open-source model). ’Cause together, we’re ending exploitation on every single cocoa farm.
Our red hot results? We thought you’d never ask..
32,133 cocoa farmers were paid a higher price
This last year, 32,133 cocoa farmers benefited from Tony’s 5 Sourcing Principles, our tried-and-true approach to ending exploitation in cocoa. That’s a 58% (!!) increase in farmers compared to last year, showing how fast ethical sourcing can scale with you chomping on our choc + more brands stepping up.
All farmers were paid at least the Living Income Reference Price (LIRP), plus extra premiums and our Emergency Productivity Boost, which we offered farmers when yields dropped. Still, our long-term data shows 59.4% of farmers at our longest‑term partner co-ops don’t yet earn a living income. So this year, we evolved our living income model to focus on income, resilience, climate-positive productivity + strong cooperatives.
813 children got out of child labor
Did you know about 1.56 million kids are working illegally in the cocoa industry in Côte d’Ivoire + Ghana? That’s 1 in every 2 (!!) children in cocoa-growing households – all so we can enjoy chocolate. Tony’s exists to change that. By tracking all our cocoa from bean to bar, we know exactly where it comes from, which is crucial for identifying + remediating child labor cases on cocoa farms.
While the industry average stands at a devastating 46.7%, the child labor prevalence rate at our longest-term partner cooperatives remains below 5%.
Last year, we found 3,448 cases of child labor in our supply chain. And that’s all thanks to the rapid expansion of our Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS), which we manage closely with our partner co-ops. CLMRS now covers 93.7% of all the households we work with.
Each child identified receives the immediate support they need to make sure they permanently stop engaging in dangerous activities. All the cases we’ve found are in the process of being remediated. Last year, we solved 813 cases, meaning another 813 children are now out of child labor and protected for the future. So they can play, go to school and dream BIG.
42,538 cocoa farms were verified as deforestation-free
Our mission to end exploitation doesn’t just mean we’re committed to farmers, but to forests, too. That’s why we’re super proud to announce that 99.99% of our cocoa is verified deforestation-free, with only 2 out of 42,538 farms having confirmed instances of deforestation. Our proactive approach – embedded in Tony’s 5 Sourcing Principles – already meets (and often exceeds!) the requirements of the upcoming, but unfortunately delayed, EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). This proves fully traceable, deforestation-free cocoa isn’t just possible – it’s scalable.
.. That’s it? No way! There’s loads more we’d love to share with you – and it’s all in our latest annual FAIR report.
But in a cocoa shell? This year’s results make 1 thing unmistakably clear: when companies commit to paying farmers a higher price long term, real impact follows. Farmers earn more, children are protected and so are forests. 20+ Mission Allies have already joined us – but to reach all 2.5 million farmers, we need the entire industry to commit, too. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s the smart thing to do.
When farmers receive a higher price long term, they can invest in their farms + their families. And when yields recover, cocoa supply stabilizes, meaning fewer price shocks for companies and fewer surprises on shelves. The best part? Companies are already paying a higher price; we just need them to commit to doing so for the long haul. ’Cause if we can pay it today, we can pay it tomorrow.
Only then can we end exploitation in cocoa and save the future of chocolate.
It’s now or never – who’s ready to commit?
