Cacao-Trace Program Distributes EUR7m Direct to Cocoa-growing Farmers and Communities

The latest annual report of the Cacao-Trace® sustainable cocoa programme from Puratos and Belcolade shows record payments of EUR7 m to farmers and their communities in 2024. This comprises a EUR3.2 m “Chocolate Bonus” (up 33% year-on-year) and a further EUR3.8 m in Quality Premiums, bringing total historic payouts to over EUR10 m.

Since its 2016 launch, Cacao-Trace® has grown to include more than 19,000 customer partners and benefitted 24,073 farmers across eight countries last year. The Chocolate Bonus—tied to annual Cacao-Trace chocolate sales—boosts farmer incomes and funds vital community projects. In 2024 alone, these funds enabled construction of 72 water facilities (towers, tanks and pumps) and seven school projects. The Quality Premium, paid above the farmgate price, rewards farmers for delivering superior wet beans.

“Our guiding principle is ‘Great Taste, Doing Good,’” says Youri Dumont, chocolate business unit lead for Puratos. “These record payments demonstrate Cacao-Trace’s commitment to both exceptional flavour and meaningful impact. Thanks to our customers, we’ve now invested over EUR10 m in farmer livelihoods and community development.”

The 2024 report also highlights new milestones in several origin countries:

• Mexico launched a dedicated grinding line to enhance process control.

• Vietnam introduced its first in-house bean-roasting line.

• Peru opened a post-harvest centre capable of fermenting more than 1,000 t of beans annually.

More than 150 customers visited Cacao-Trace facilities in 2024 to witness the programme in action, strengthening transparency around cocoa-industry challenges.

Looking ahead, Cacao-Trace remains on track to plant 1,194,378 trees by end-2025 and to reach over 25,000 farmers this year. By 2030, the programme aims to distribute an EUR8 m Chocolate Bonus to 50,000 farmers—furthering its vision of a fairer, more sustainable cocoa and chocolate industry.