New Cocoa & Forests Initiative Report: sustained progress
Touton’s 2024 CFI Report showcases progress in sustainable cocoa and forest protection. As a committed member of the Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) since 2017, Touton continues to collaborate with public institutions, private partners, and cocoa-growing communities in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana to halt deforestation, promote sustainable agriculture, and enhance livelihoods throughout the cocoa supply chain.
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Touton’s 2024 CFI Progress Report showcases how collaboration, operational intelligence, and targeted innovation have driven meaningful results across all three CFI pillars—forest protection, sustainable production, and community engagement. More than 705,000 community members benefited from Touton’s and its clients’ sustainability programmes during the reference crop year alone (2023-2024).
Audrey Lagauche, Director of Cocoa Sustainability at Touton explains: “As traders and supply chain managers, we play a pivotal role in implementing CFI commitments on the ground—both through our own operations and on behalf of chocolate makers seeking traceable, sustainable cocoa,” says Audrey Lagauche, Director of Cocoa Sustainability at Touton.
“This year, we’ve accelerated the pace of transformation—strengthening field operations ahead of the EUDR coming into force, while advancing our own Science-Based Targets climate strategy, in line with our CFI commitments. The convergence of these three priorities has acted as a catalyst toward a shared objective: building sustainable livelihoods and deforestation-free cocoa supply chains.”
Key achievements include:
- Over 300,000 hectares assessed through Deforestation Risk Assessments (DRA), ensuring traceability across Touton’s direct cocoa supply chain — well ahead of EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requirements.
- 767,000 improved cocoa seedlings and 685,000 multipurpose trees distributed in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, supporting agroforestry expansion and biodiversity recovery.
- 112,000+ farmers trained in climate-smart cocoa practices—a 46% increase year-on-year—equipping producers to boost yields and protect natural ecosystems.
- 723 Village Savings & Loans Associations (VSLAs) established, fostering financial inclusion and resilience, especially among women and youth.
Landscape and localised approaches gaining more traction
Touton’s model of community-driven environmental stewardship is proving effective and replicable—blending ecological protection with inclusive development. Collaborative approaches are also showing their efficiency, with several landscape initiatives showing significant impact:
- In Côte d’Ivoire, Touton intensified its engagement in the Cavally Forest Project (Phase 2)—a joint effort with Nestlé, Earthworm Foundation, the Ivorian government, and other partners. Touton-specific field actions included community-led reforestation with the planting of over 8000 trees, and training of over 2,200 farmers on good agricultural practices.
- In Ghana, Forest Protection Committees (FPCs) now operate in nearly 780 communities, overseeing over 90,000 hectares of cocoa farms. These grassroots groups champion tree planting, agroforestry adoption, and deforestation alert response systems.
Innovation at the service of resilience
Innovation remains central to Touton’s sustainability strategy. Among the standout pilots highlighted in this year’s report:
- A natural composting pilot in Côte d’Ivoire, run with LONO, generated several tonnes of organic fertiliser in its first year—boosting soil health while cutting producers’ dependency on synthetic inputs.
- Introduction of portable early detection kits for Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus (CSSV), enabling faster and better understanding of the spread of the disease and its impact on cocoa sourcing and production.
These investments reflect our ambition to make resilience accessible and scalable for producers on the frontline of climate and market challenges.
Communities lead the way
At the heart of the report are stories of transformation—from producers embracing agroforestry to youth-led service brigades supporting sustainable practices. For example :
- Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA) groups are not only facilitating access to finance but also investing in shared equipment like transport tricycles, reducing costs, and enabling cooperative income generation.
- Entrepreneurial models continue to flourish, with producers diversifying into fruit crops and creating new revenue streams beyond cocoa.
