Waitrose has announced an expansion of its partnership with Tony’s Open Chain to scale operations related to sourcing cocoa responsibly across its seasonal and boxed chocolate lines.
The expansion builds on Waitrose’s 2024 agreement, when it became the first UK based retailer to join Tony’s Open Chain as a ‘Mission Ally’.
The initial rollout covered six Waitrose own-brand chocolate bars and three Cook’s ingredients bars using segregated cocoa.
Under the expanded agreement, over half of Waitrose seasonal chocolate will now be sourced via Tony’s Open Chain Mass Balance.
This transition also involves strengthening the sourcing credentials of its own-label boxed chocolates using the Tony’s Open Chain mass balance “Bean to Machine” sourcing model for the first time in addition to its existing Fairtrade Certified Cocoa sourcing.
Rianne van Doeveren, general manager at Tony’s Open Chain said: “When we talk about impact, we’re talking about real families in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire whose livelihoods depend on cocoa.
“Waitrose’s extension of their partnership with Tony’s Open Chain is not symbolic, it’s a practical change.
“More cocoa will be flowing through a supply chain that commits to higher cocoa prices for the long term, traces the beans sourced, and invests directly in the communities that grow them.
“We thank Waitrose for their trust, dedication and passion in expanding the volume of cocoa sourced via our impact model, and proving that it’s possible to create more equitable supply chains.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Waitrose will commit to 100% Traceable Beans, ensuring complete visibility over where cocoa is grown and its journey through the supply chain up to at least the first cocoa processor, prior to mass-balance mixing.
However, the positive financial impact for farmers participating in Tony’s Open Chain remains the same using this model and for these products as for the segregated supply chain model, already in use for nine of Waitrose block chocolate bars.
Marija Rompani, director of ethics & sustainability at John Lewis Partnership said: “We’re proud to extend our partnership with Tony’s Chocolonely through Tony’s Open Chain.
“Enhancing our responsible sourcing standards is an essential part of building resilient supply chains that deliver the high-quality ethically sourced products our customers expect, both now and in the future.”
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