Case Study: Tony’s Chocolonely
Is Ethical Sourcing A Winning Strategy?
Tony Chocolonely is a Dutch chocolate manufacturer on a lonely but critical mission to end child exploitation in cocoa. The reality is that Tony cannot change the industry alone particularly when there’s a group of chocolate giants that profit from keeping the cocoa purchasing price as low as possible. The result: farmers in West Africa are not paid a living wage and forced to live in poverty. Many children work the farms and don’t go to school. Forced labor is employed too. The company acknowledges the unfair distribution of power in the chocolate industry, starting with “the millions of farmers who produce cocoa and ends with the billions of consumers who enjoy chocolate.” It’s a lofty vision then for Tony’s mission to create a more equitable cocoa system.
Tony Chocolonely seeks to increase awareness of exploitation in cocoa by clearly including its mission and values on its product packaging and marketing materials. The wrappers display a bold claim that Tony’s is on a mission to make 100% slave-free chocolate, and they also print their core sourcing principles directly on the packaging. To achieve its mission, Tony’s makes 5 sourcing promises:
Traceable cocoa beans - the promise to purchase from known sources that prioritize direct and equitable trade with cocoa farmers, cutting out the middle men who grab profits, with goal of 100% traceable cocoa;
Pay a higher price - to support the farmer’s achieving a livable income with Living Income Reference Price;
Prioritize long-term outlook - provide higher prices over the long term allowing the farmers to develop income stability and security;
Strengthen farmers - collaboration with cooperatives to enhance cocoa farming practices and advocate for long term change in the industry and implementation of sustainability programs along with initiatives such as the Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS), which surveys the partner cooperatives and helps improve cocoa farmers’ living conditions and ensure supportive conditions in the communities; and
Quality and productivity - purchases of beans at a higher price, and advancing agricultural education, enables farmers to produce quality crops over the long term at fairer prices. Source: https://us.tonyschocolonely.com/pages/our-promise?srsltid=AfmBOor6XdKOR2SIzP-G2KcHrWSoZ7R5h1aI2mfnu8AMBChbmuBJntgr#sectionid-4
A Mission Driven Movement
As a chocolate brand, Tony’s could elect to ignore human rights, but it instead it chooses a supply chain strategy that includes 100% ethical sourcing of cocoa. Its customers have been willing to pay a premium because the brand pairs high-quality product with an activist mission. Customers essentially get to become part of a movement. Some of the uneven shapes represent the African nations from which it sources coffee beans.
Mission Wins But So Does Design
Tony Chocolonely’s global revenues are over $280 million annually. U.S. sales achieved 50% growth over the last year. The U.S. is now the brand’s largest market. https://us.tonyschocolonely.com/
We must also give credit to Tony’s signature vibrant graphic art with custom typography and primary colors that make the brand pop off of crowded store shelves. According to designer, Arjen Klinkenberg, the artwork is based on a blend of bold mid-century illustration, 1950s modernist design, and vintage graphic art. The aesthetic of 1950s Blue Note record covers and early graffiti were primary inspirations for the iconic wrappers. They even allow you to customize your label design from their website.
Tony’s second business is Open Chain which is open sourcing for chocolate. Your brand can ethically source its chocolate directly from Tony’s too. https://www.tonysopenchain.com/
Consumers are increasingly interested in where products are made and what goes into them. Way to go Tony’s Chocolonely! Great work!
Tony’s Chocolonely milk chocolate bar
*Shai Littlejohn Studio does not work with Tony’s Chocolonely, rather this serves a case studio to demonstrate what’s possible for brands with strong missions and brand-stories. The Studio is experienced with human rights, sustainability strategies, and global ethical sourcing and can support similar work with your organization.
