Dutch Supermarkets take significant steps towards living income in the cocoa sector
Dutch supermarkets are stepping up their efforts to support cocoa farming families by adopting more ethical and sustainable sourcing practices. Superunie, a purchasing organisation representing 10 independent retail organisations in the Netherlands, has announced a new strategy designed to support cocoa farmers in its supply chain earn a living income.
As part of this commitment, Superunie will source all private label products containing more than 5% cocoa through Fairtrade by 2026. From 2027, the organisation will go further: investing for 1100 metric tons of cocoa beans in farm productivity and paying the Living Income Reference Price (LIRP), the farmgate price required for a typical cocoa farming household with a viable crop area and sustainable productivity to earn a living income. By 2030, Superunie aims to scale this approach to all relevant private label cocoa products.
Superunie partners with Fairtrade through their Living Income Program, that combines certification, fair prices and long-term partnerships with cooperatives to strengthen farmer incomes, prevent child labour and protect the environment.
This move reflects a wider shift among Dutch retailers toward more responsible cocoa sourcing.
In 2018, Albert Heijn partnered with Tony’s Open Chain, a sourcing model aiming to end structural poverty and establish more equitable relationships with cocoa cooperatives in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire through five principles: traceability, higher prices, long-term commitments, strong farmer relationships, and improved quality and productivity. In 2024, expanded their commitment to cover all own-brand cocoa products sourcing through Tony’s Open Chain.
Jumbo followed in 2023, also committing to sourcing through Tony’s Open Chain.
IDH is a strategic partner to Tony’s Open Chain, helping to strengthen and scale the model across more supply chains.
Superunie’s approach forms part of the Dutch Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (DISCO), a public-private partnership that brings together key players in the Dutch cocoa and chocolate sector. DISCO’s mission is clear: to ensure that cocoa farming families supplying the Dutch market are enabled to earn a living income by 2030. The initiative is convened by IDH, which also led a working group with Dutch and Belgian partners and developed an analysis of cocoa programs and certification that helped shape Superunie’s strategy
Superunie takes its commitment within DISCO seriously. Thanks to the analysis of cocoa programs and certification facilitated by IDH through the Retail Cocoa Working Group, we were able to make informed decisions about our sourcing strategy. The analysis highlighted gaps in current practices and helped us define a stepwise approach that is both ambitious and achievable. For us, this goes beyond meeting standards — it’s about making a real difference in the lives of cocoa farming families.
It’s impressive to see how all retailers within DISCO are actively taking responsibility to support the partnership’s living income goals. Their plans reflect bold action through a smart mix of strategies that tackle key income drivers such as raising prices and boosting productivity. What’s especially promising is their commitment to scale these efforts beyond pilots, applying them across all private label cocoa products.
These efforts are aligned with DISCO’s principles on procurement, particularly its emphasis on fair and sustainable procurement practices. This means ensuring farmers are fairly remunerated, paid on time, and supported by long-term commitments that provide financial security and predictability.
By embedding these principles into their procurement policies, Dutch retailers such as Superunie, Albert Heijn, and Jumbo are helping to transform the cocoa supply chain — making it more equitable, transparent and resilient for the farming families who depend on it.
For more information, please visit the DISCO website.