Our Social Responsibility

Responsible sourcing

OUR COMMITMENT

Behind our efforts to support a fair society and protect people's rights and wellbeing, we have programmes on cocoa and hazelnut to support the people who grow our ingredients, and the communities where they live.

Supporting cocoa communities

We build long-term relationships with cocoa farmers and their local communities and support them in building sustainable businesses, improve the wellbeing of women and children, and protect the local environment and wildlife. Ferrero works with the Entreprise Coopérative Kimbre (ECOOKIM), a farming cooperative in the Ivory Coast, to improve farming, farmers' incomes and community support.

See our Cocoa

Empowering women

With Ferrero's support, more than 1,700 Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA) have been established in our cocoa-growing communities, with almost 47,000 members, of which 62% are women. Through the VSLAs, women can access small loans to set up a business. It helps bring social change, because as the members become more financially independent, evidence shows this contributes strongly to women’s empowerment and the wellbeing of their children.
Almost 15% of the VSLA groups are part of ECOOKIM, which has a programme for empowering women. ECOOKIM promotes increasing the number of female growers, which has tripled over the past ten years, and helps women generate extra income. Ferrero also participates in Fairtrade’s Women School of Leadership programme, which aims, among other things, to increase the number of women in management positions within the cooperatives.

1,700

VILLAGE SAVINGS
AND LOANS ASSOCIATIONS (VSLA)

47,000

MEMBERS

62%

ARE WOMEN

Supporting women and children

In the areas where our cocoa is grown, we're committed to promoting education and helping the development of children. Ferrero Group has been working with Save the Children on a project, which has directly benefitted 38,800 children and adults and, indirectly, over 100,000 people.

We are also part of a large public private partnership the Child Learning and Education Facility - that aims to provide high-quality education to four million children in the Ivory Coast. In addition, we support 1,700 village associations that help over 46,000 people, mostly women, save money and provide them with loans to support small businesses.

“I took out a loan to strengthen my business. Today I’m able to help around the house and take care of myself”

KORAOGO ZENABOU

Supporting hazelnut communities

We aim to ensure a responsible hazelnut supply chain that creates value for all. Our ambition is to help the hazelnut industry evolve so farmers and their communities can thrive, and workers’ and children’s rights are respected. A key focus is on empowering women in local farming communities, which is essential for building strong communities. Since 2016, Ferrero has trained more than 14,000 female hazelnut farmers in sustainable farming best practices.