Moving the Bars: KPMG Evaluation of the UTZ 2008-2012 Cocoa Improvement Program

This report evaluates the effectiveness of the Cocoa Improvement Program (CIP), implemented by IDH, UTZ and Solidaridad between 2008 and 2012. This program brought together key players throughout the value chain, including farmers, traders, processors, chocolate brands, supermarkets, NGOs and governments. Their joint efforts have brought sustainability more to the forefront in the cocoa supply chain by making farmers more professional and creating the right conditions to certify and sell sustainable cocoa. From 2008 to 2012, 151,000 farmers were certified for sustainable cocoa farming with care for people and the environment, contributing to better living conditions for them and their families. Some 414,000 tons of sustainable cocoa was produced during the program, which ran from 2008 to 2012 and UTZ-certified cocoa is now sold in 86 countries around the world. This report evaluates the effectiveness of the CIP through the analyses of a combination of data and perspectives from CIP progress reports, a survey and interviews amongst supply chain actors, data provided by companies that source a great share of cocoa, and additional (scientific) reports. The focus is on Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Read the Rainforest Alliance's response to this report.