Ansvar som håller - our long-term responsibility

Our work in cocoa follows a risk-based due diligence approach inspired by internationally recognised principles on business and human rights.

In practice, this means that we:

1. Set clear expectations through our Code of Conduct.

2. Identify and assess risks by origin and supply chain structure.

3. Engage and improve through long-term supplier dialogue.

4. Monitor and review progress over time.

5. Communicate openly about what is in place and what is still developing.

As a small buyer, our leverage lies in consistent requirements, long-term partnerships and transparency. We review our approach and related documentation at least annually, including ahead of key reporting cycles.

Our responsibility in cocoa begins with who we choose to work with. We rely on long-term supplier partnerships rather than owning farms or running our own programmes in origin countries.

We source cocoa and cocoa products exclusively through suppliers that work directly with producer groups and have established systems for sustainability, traceability and responsible sourcing. Transparency about these partnerships is a central part of how we take responsibility.

The following suppliers cover all cocoa and cocoa products used by Malmö Chokladfabrik during the relevant Chocolate Scorecard reporting period:

This list covers all cocoa suppliers used by Malmö Chokladfabrik during the reporting period.

Our requirements for cocoa suppliers

Origin, traceability and transparency

Understanding where our cocoa comes from – and how responsibility is shared across the supply chain – is a central part of Ansvar som håller.

Our work with origin, traceability and transparency is primarily carried out through our suppliers. We source cocoa through partners that work directly with producer groups and growers, and that maintain systems for traceability and responsible sourcing. These systems form the basis for visibility on origin, supply chain structure and sustainability-related risks.

Our traceability varies by origin and product (beans, mass, butter), but we expect suppliers to operate structured traceability systems and to provide documentation upon request. Our target is to achieve farm-level traceability for 100% of our cocoa purchases by 2027.

Where feasible, we require farm-level traceability tools. At the same time, we recognise the importance of responsible data handling. Farmer-level data should be anonymised or aggregated where appropriate and used under confidentiality for due diligence purposes.

We continuously work to improve consistency and clarity in traceability documentation across supply chains. We also expect suppliers to support evolving regulatory requirements related to traceability and deforestation-risk documentation, including providing relevant documentation aligned with EUDR requirements where applicable.

During the 2025 reporting period, our cocoa was sourced from seven countries: Peru (largest share), Dominican Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Ecuador, Bolivia and Madagascar. 69% of our total cocoa volume is traceable to farm level with GPS coordinates. 100% is traceable to country of origin.

Living income

Ensuring that cocoa farming can provide a viable livelihood is a fundamental challenge in the chocolate sector. Living income is a central commitment in our Code of Conduct (§3.4) and our sustainability strategy Sweet Future 2.0 (page 19).

As a small manufacturer, we do not purchase directly at farm gate. Our purchasing practices are designed to contribute to farmer income through four principles: selecting and retaining suppliers with demonstrated living income commitment, not using our purchasing relationships to drive price reductions at origin, paying the full cost of certification premiums, and maintaining long-term supplier relationships that provide price stability during periods of market volatility. Our two largest suppliers have been partners for more than five years.

100% of our cocoa carries an organic premium. 37% is dual-certified Fairtrade and organic, carrying additional premiums allocated by cooperatives to direct farmer benefits, compliance costs, community investment and administration. Where public Living Income Reference Prices exist, we use them as a reference point in supplier evaluation.

For the 2025 reporting period, our primary supplier reports that Malmö-linked farmers are estimated at or near living income levels, verified through Fairtrade, Organic, Fair for Life and ROC certification audits. We are transparent about the limitations of our current data and recognise that living income is a moving target influenced by market dynamics and local costs.

Our detailed commitments, purchasing principles, benchmarks and time-bound targets are set out in our Living Income Commitment and Action Plan (February 2026) [PDF].

 

What we require and how we follow up

We recognise living income as a core sustainability and human rights priority in cocoa supply chains. While we do not set farmgate prices ourselves, we expect our suppliers to be able to explain and document how their pricing structures support viable livelihoods.

Where Living Income Reference Prices (LIRP) are available, we request clarification on alignment. Where they are not available, we request documented explanations of pricing structures and benchmarks used.

Our ambition is to strengthen transparency over time by improving year-to-year follow-up and documentation in collaboration with suppliers.

We see living income as an ongoing area of development. Over time, our ambition is to deepen our understanding of how our sourcing choices connect to farmers’ livelihoods and to improve how we can contribute, together with our suppliers, to more resilient cocoa supply chains.

Child labour and human rights

Respect for human rights is a fundamental part of how we understand responsibility in our cocoa supply chain. Risks related to child labour and other human rights issues are systemic challenges in cocoa production and require long-term, coordinated efforts across the sector.

Malmö Chokladfabrik does not operate its own child labour monitoring or remediation systems in origin countries. Our approach is therefore based on working through suppliers that maintain established processes for human rights due diligence, including systems to identify, address and remediate risks related to child labour where applicable.

Our role is to set clear expectations, engage in long-term partnerships and seek transparency into how these systems function in practice. We recognise that the existence of monitoring systems does not mean that risks are eliminated, but that they are identified and addressed in a more structured and responsible way. 

Zero cases of child labour were identified in our supply chain during the 2025 reporting period. Our primary supplier maintains a monitoring system equivalent to CLMRS, with over 10 years of zero confirmed cases. 

All of our cocoa is certified organic, which means no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fungicides are used in our supply chains. This structurally eliminates the risk of children (or adults) being exposed to hazardous agrochemicals.

Risk-based approach

Child labour risk varies by origin and context. In regions assessed as higher risk, we expect suppliers to operate structured monitoring and remediation systems. In lower-risk regions, we still expect credible human rights due diligence and clear escalation procedures if concerns arise.

We apply a non-retaliation principle and expect suppliers to cooperate in corrective action processes where relevant.

Levels of detail vary across supply chains. Addressing child labour and human rights risks is an ongoing process that requires continuous attention, collaboration and improvement over time.

Gender and inclusion

Gender inequality is a structural challenge in cocoa production and affects access to income, resources, decision-making and resilience at farm and community level. Addressing these issues is therefore an important part of building cocoa supply chains that are fair, resilient and sustainable over time.

Our approach to gender and inclusion is embedded in our sustainability strategy Sweet Future 2.0 (Goal 12) and our Code of Conduct (§3.3), which requires all suppliers to promote gender-inclusive practices within cooperatives and farming communities. Rather than standalone programmes, we integrate gender considerations into how we select, evaluate and engage with suppliers.

During the 2025 reporting period, we collected gender-disaggregated data from our primary suppliers covering approximately 93% of our cocoa volume:

— ACOPAGRO (Peru): 284 women members (18% of total membership), with 30% representation on the cooperative board. A dedicated women's capacity-building programme covering entrepreneurship, financial literacy and leadership skills is being implemented in 2026–2027.
— FUNDOPO (Dominican Republic): 506 women members (16% of total membership), with 15% representation on the cooperative board.

In Ecuador, two of our specialty estates — Hacienda Sofía and Hacienda Palo Santo — are female-owned and managed.

Gender is a cross-cutting factor in our wider sustainability work. Our Living Income Commitment and Action Plan recognises that closing living income gaps requires addressing structural gender inequalities that affect women's income generation and economic participation. Our child labor policy takes gender into account by addressing the specific risks facing girls, including through supplier programmes that promote equal access to education and economic opportunities for women and girls in farming communities.

We prioritise sourcing relationships with suppliers that actively invest in women's participation and leadership. As our data coverage expands across origins, we will use these insights to inform purchasing decisions and supplier dialogue.

Health and wellbeing

Health and wellbeing are fundamental to resilient cocoa farming communities. Risks related to occupational safety, access to healthcare, water and sanitation, and overall wellbeing are closely linked to human rights, gender equality and long-term livelihood outcomes.

Our approach to health and wellbeing is embedded in how we work with suppliers rather than addressed through standalone initiatives. We engage with partners that recognise health-related risks in cocoa production and that integrate wellbeing considerations into broader sustainability programmes, such as farmer training, occupational safety practices, access to basic services or community-level support where relevant.

We are strengthening our understanding of health-related issues by requesting structured information from suppliers regarding initiatives such as occupational safety training, access to healthcare, water and sanitation investments, and community-level wellbeing programmes.

Health and wellbeing are context-specific, and approaches vary across origins and supply chains. Our focus is on learning and engagement: seeking insight into how health-related issues are addressed within supplier programmes and how these efforts connect to human rights due diligence.

We see health and wellbeing as an integral part of responsible cocoa sourcing and as an area where long-term collaboration and continuous improvement are essential. Over time, deeper insight into these aspects helps strengthen both farmer resilience and the sustainability of the cocoa supply chains we are part of.

 

Environmental impact, deforestation and climate

Environmental impact and climate change are closely linked to how cocoa is grown and how land is managed over time. Deforestation, soil degradation and loss of biodiversity are among the most significant climate-related risks in cocoa production, with long-term consequences for ecosystems, farming communities and the resilience of cocoa supply chains.

Our primary approach to climate-related responsibility therefore focuses upstream, through how cocoa is sourced and how environmental risks are addressed within supplier-led programmes. We work with partners that recognise the importance of deforestation prevention, responsible land use and agroforestry practices, and that integrate these aspects into their sustainability, traceability and risk management systems.

Where environmental risks or documentation gaps are identified, we prioritise dialogue and time-bound corrective actions with suppliers. Continuous improvement is central to how we manage deforestation and climate-related risks.

We acknowledge that levels of monitoring, implementation and data availability vary across origins and supply chains. Our focus is on transparency and continuous improvement: seeking insight into how deforestation and climate-related risks are identified and addressed, and being open about where visibility is strong and where it is still developing.

While the most significant climate impacts occur in cocoa production, we also work to reduce environmental impact within our own operations and logistics. This includes investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency at our production facilities, as well as collaboration with logistics partners that offer mass-balance solutions for renewable marine fuels. These initiatives contribute to lower-emission transport at system level and reflect our commitment to reducing climate impact where we have direct influence, while prioritising action where the risks are greatest.

We are committed to deforestation-free cocoa across all supply chains. 84% of our 2025 cocoa volume is covered by satellite-based deforestation monitoring via Osapiens, managed by Tradin Organic. The remaining volume is monitored through our primary supplier's digital Internal Control System (abunda+), which includes GPS polygon mapping at farm level. Combined, 100% of our cocoa is subject to geolocation-based deforestation monitoring with a cut-off date of 31 December 2020, aligned with EU Regulation 2023/1115 (EUDR). From 2025, all ocean freight is transported using fossil-free marine fuel via Scanlog. We invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency at our production facilities.

 

Speak up – grievance mechanism

We provide a confidential channel for concerns related to sustainability, labour rights, deforestation or compliance within our supply chain.

Concerns can be submitted to:
sweetfuture@malmochokladfabrik.se

All reports are handled confidentially and in line with a strict non-retaliation principle. Reports are reviewed and handled through supplier dialogue and corrective action where relevant.

 

Continuous improvement and transparency

Responsibility that lasts is built over time. It requires openness about what is in place today, humility about what is still developing, and a willingness to improve step by step.

The information shared on this page reflects how we currently work with responsibility in our cocoa supply chain, based on available insight and recognised sustainability frameworks within the chocolate sector. As expectations, methodologies and data continue to evolve, so will our approach and our reporting.

We see transparency not as an end point, but as a tool for learning, dialogue and accountability. By openly sharing both progress and limitations, we aim to contribute to more informed conversations and to long-term improvements across the value chain.

Ansvar som håller is about doing the work, staying honest, and building responsibility together – over time.

Key Documents

Code of Conduct (PDF)

Sweet Future - sustainability strategy (PDF)

Cocoa supplier list (reporting period 2025)

Svensk sammanfattning