An initiative of
The Cocoa & Forests Initiative is currently implemented in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, which produce approximately 60% of the world’s annual supply of cocoa, and Colombia, where cocoa is being seen as an opportunity to support the peace process.
The Initiative, launched in 2017, is chaired by the governments of Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Colombia, and is facilitated by IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative and the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF). The Cocoa & Forest Initiative is generously supported by P4F and BUZA.
Overview of the commitments and action plans
The cocoa and chocolate sector commitment is captured in the Cocoa & Forests Initiative Collective Statement of Intent. Launched on March 2017 by the Prince of Wales, it has now been signed by 35 companies committing to “working together, pre-competitively, to end deforestation and forest degradation in the cocoa supply chain, with an initial focus on Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire”.
Following the Statement of Intent, Frameworks for Action have been signed by government and leading chocolate and cocoa companies in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Colombia. These Frameworks focus on:
- Conservation of National Parks and forested land, as well as restoration of forests that have been degraded by cocoa farm encroachment.
- Sustainable intensification and diversification of income in order to increase farmers’ yields and livelihood, to grow “more cocoa on less land” and thereby reduce pressure on forests.
- Engagement and empowerment of cocoa-growing communities. In particular mitigation of the social impacts and risks of land-use changes on affected cocoa farmers and their communities.
In Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, these Frameworks for Action have been translated into National Implementation Plans, released in June/July 2018. These plans specify timelines, roles and responsibilities, monitoring and evaluation, and governance. The implementation plans were shaped by public, private and civil society stakeholders, through a series of strategic and technical discussions.
On March 2019, thirty-three company signatories, accounting for about 85% of global cocoa usage, released detailed individual action plans. These plans spell out the specific actions each company will take in 2018-2022, to deliver on their commitments set out in the Frameworks for Action. Each company action plan has been aligned to the National Implementation Plans.
Downloads:
Collective Statement of Intent (2017)
Framework for action – Ghana (2017)
Colombia Framework for Action (2017): English / Spanish
Framework for Action – Côte d’Ivoire (2022): English / French
National Implementation Plan Côte d’Ivoire (2018): English / French
National Implementation Plan – Ghana (2018)
CFI Progress Report (2018)
Company aggregated action plans – Côte d’Ivoire (2019): English / French
Company aggregated action plans – Ghana (2019)

Read the CFI 2020 Progress Reports
Cocoa & Forests Initiative signatories release their progress reports for 2020 towards ending deforestation and restoring forest areas of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
Read the full reports now.
Publications
Title | Type | Year | Regions | TAF |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cargill Case Study on Cocoa Traceability | Case Study | 2021 | - | - |
Barry Callebaut Case Study on Cocoa Traceability | Case Study | 2021 | - | - |
Fairtrade International Case Study on Cocoa Traceability | Case Study | 2021 | - | - |
Mondelēz Case Study on Cocoa Traceability | Case Study | 2021 | - | - |
Press Release – CFI 2020 Progress Reports | Presentation | 2021 | - | - |
Technical Brief on Cocoa Traceability | Case Study | 2021 | - | - |
No publications found.