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On International Cocoa and Coffee Days, we proudly release our 2023-2024 Sustainability Report to celebrate resilience and continuous systems transformation.

Last year, market conditions for tropical commodities were unprecedented: vanilla demand collapsed, coffee faced its third consecutive year of deficit, and cocoa prices soared to unprecedented levels. These three commodities account for over 95% of Touton’s global trading volumes, challenging all aspects of our operations: from financing to sourcing, quality to logistics.

The 2023-2024 extra-financial performance report explains the crucial role played by our combined expertise as a trader AND supply chain manager to stay the course.

• The unique synergies between our trading and market intelligence teams allowed for proper anticipation and management of risk exposure;
• The proven agility of our sourcing and operations teams ensured timely deliveries of products to agri-food industrial players worldwide;
• Touton’s long-standing trust relationship with partnering banks and financial institutions allowed us to secure the exceptional credit lines needed to finance supply chain operations;
• With active offices and sustainability programmes across major cocoa and coffee sourcing countries, our proximity with producers and local trade actors facilitated the procurement of beans to honor all contracts

Patrick de Boussac, CEO of the Touton group said:

“This year will go down in history for the tropical agricultural commodities we trade. More than ever, our core trading activities were put to the test. Thanks to our experience, our knowledge of the field, and our ability to adapt, we were able to keep our promise: to fulfill our contracts and deliver to all our customers. Despite the challenging context, we did not slow down the necessary systems’ transformations to meet the regulatory and contractual requirements of our sectors, starting with formalising our new CSR and climate strategies.”

Trust doesn’t develop overnight. This year’s market turmoil did not prevent us from adapting our systems and frameworks to facilitate the sustainable transformation of tropical ingredients supply chains. In 2023-24, Touton has formalised key building blocks to maintain excellence across its operations, which are unveiled in this report:

• The POSITIVE AGRI CULTURE by TOUTON (PACT): OUR NEW CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY STRATEGY

PACT is based on Touton’s vision of what trade looks like in the future. Founded on 175 years of experience and aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Positive Agri Culture sets clear objectives: fostering POSITIVE GROWTH, building a RESILIENT AGRI-INDUSTRY, and nurturing a CULTURE OF TRUST. It serves as a unifying force, embodying our group’s values and actionable strategies for engaging with stakeholders and ecosystems. This new framework underpins the group’s sustainability report and anticipates key aspects of the new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.

• PACT STANDARD:  OUR VERIFIED RESPONSIBLE SOURCING INSTRUMENT

PACT STANDARD was designed to build traceable, transparent, and sustainable supply chains for cocoa, coffee, vanilla, and tropical ingredients. With over 120 built-in verification points, the standard aligns with multiple certification criteria and complies with European and international regulatory requirements. PACT STANDARD programmes are tailored to the specific needs of each supply chain, addressing both the sustainable development goals of partner producers and communities and the responsible sourcing ambitions of agri-industrial companies. Programmes are audited annually by an independent third party and are recognised by the Global Coffee Platform (GCP) as equivalent to the Coffee Sustainability Reference Code 2^nd party assurance.

• CLIMATE STRATEGY & CARBON EMISSIONS REDUCTION OFFICIAL COMMITMENT

Touton has officially committed to set near-term (2035) company-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 °C with the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). With 93% of the group’s GHG emissions stemming from agricultural production, we aim to lead by example by enhancing the environmental performance of our direct operations. At the group level, we will also support supply chain actors in their climate transition by promoting low-carbon transportation, implementing a zero-deforestation policy, or enhancing the capacity of natural carbon sinks through agroforestry.

• GETTING READY FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION’S ZERO DEFORESTATION REGULATION (EUDR)

To ensure that cocoa or coffee sourced by Touton for the European market did not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation after 31/12/20, we have developed our ground-truthed methodology matrix for risk assessment around traceability, deforestation, and legality. We have mobilised talents across all departments and offices to establish good practices and reliable systems. By partnering with leading geospatial intelligence providers and training our suppliers, we ensure compliance at every level of the supply chain. Our EUDR compliance tools and practices are designed to deliver consistently, while enhancing responsible sourcing and sustainability efforts, without disrupting commercial operations.

For more information read our full report, available in English and French:  

• SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 23-24 ENG.
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• RAPPORT DURABILITÉ 23-24 FR.
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• SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 23-24/PHONE
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• RAPPORT DURABILITÉ 23-24/MOBILE

As part of our climate transition and sustainable sourcing strategy, TOUTON Group has recently launched a project in partnership with LONO, an Ivorian engineering company specialised in adding value to agricultural by-products, to transform cocoa pods into organic fertiliser. 
(Article également disponible en français)

Exceptional collaboration between the public and private sectors aims to protect the Cavally Forest. Initiated by the Ivorian government, Earthworm Foundation and Nestlé in 2020, the Cavally Forest restoration project is now welcoming new partners to achieve greater impact.

(Version française disponible : https://touton.com/chaines-de-valeur-bas-carbone-en-construction)

In the face of the climate emergency, a complete understanding and control of our carbon footprint are essential to actively contribute to the collective effort. Mastering GHG emissions also offers tangible tools to support both our agro-industrial clients, as well as cocoa, coffee, and ingredients producers, in addressing the challenges of the natural, regulatory, and economic transformations of our value chains.

(version française ici)

We are proud to announce the launch of the innovative PACT STANDARD, our verified responsible sourcing instrument designed to create traceable, transparent, and sustainable supply chains for cocoa, coffee, vanilla, and tropical ingredients.

                                                                        

Building on 175 years of experience, Touton has conceived the PACT STANDARD to proactively address the specific social, environmental, and economic challenges of tropical commodity value chains. This novel standard is a testament to the group’s commitment to sustainability and its vision of the Positive Agri Culture in a rapidly evolving agri-food sector.

The PACT STANDARD is the result of over 20 years of learning and testing customised, grassroots solutions to responsibly source a wide array of products across tropical-producing countries, ranging from cocoa beans to green arabica and robusta coffee, vanilla or cinnamon.

Joseph LARROSE, Deputy Managing Director, Touton group said:

“PACT STANDARD is the instrument that allows us to efficiently operationalise our sustainability vision, the Positive Agri Culture by Touton or PACT, into our sourcing activities. A vision rooted in the deep understanding, mutual respect, and enduring trust with producers.

We understand and manage supply chains. Every year, over 100 000 producers engage with our sustainability programmes across various countries and products. I am proud of the collaborative effort that has culminated in PACT, reflecting our shared aspirations and hands-on experience.” 

Acting as a true link between growers and processors, the combined expertise of Touton’s Trading, Sustainability, Monitoring & Evaluation teams, and sourcing partners across 15 producing countries originated PACT as a solid framework to generate a lasting positive impact on both farming communities and consumers.

With over 120+ built-in verification points, the PACT framework aligns with multiple certification criteria and is compliant with European and international regulatory requirements. PACT STANDARD-based programmes are audited annually by an independent third party and recognised by the Global Coffee Platform (GCP) as equivalent to the Coffee Sustainability Reference Code, 2^nd party assurance.

Built on three core pillars and one cross-cutting pillar, each addressing specific areas of intervention to deliver impact at every level, PACT STANDARD offers a human-centric approach and bespoke programmes based on the know-how of our 200+ dedicated staff:

• Collaborative systems: To establish systems that proficiently manage risks and responsibilities to ensure traceability and transparency throughout the supply chain.

1. Inclusive Growth: To generate added value and equal opportunities by facilitating access to financial, structural and knowledge resources.
2. Smart Ecosystems: To build climate-smart farming ecosystems that safeguard forests, biodiversity, and efficiently manage natural resources.
3. Social Positive: To foster empowerment and well-being among producers and communities.

 

PACT STANDARD’s stepwise and scalable approach: PLANT, GROW and NURTURE.

For each supply chain, a dedicated programme is crafted to address both producers’ and industrial players’ needs in their responsible sourcing strategies, based on their ambition and maturity levels. From the foundation of a new programme (PLANT) to its scale-up (GROW) and sustained maturity (NURTURE), PACT offers an agile, dependable standard for sustainability excellence.

For coffee supply chains, the PACT continuous improvement approach is bound to a 3-year cycle to ensure access to market for coffee cultivated by farmers committed to the standard.

Audrey LAGAUCHE, Director Cocoa Sustainability, Touton group commented:

“The PACT STANDARD launch is a pivotal moment for our company and the cocoa producers we partner with. This standardised approach will allow us to fully capitalise on our capacities to implement even more impactful programmes across both existing and new origins. It is not just about growing cocoa but about nurturing a legacy of sustainable and shared prosperity.”

Thomas DELBAR, Director Coffee & Ingredients Sustainability, Touton group added:

“Deploying the PACT STANDARD enables our coffee, vanilla and spices sustainability teams to better accompany each producer by offering comprehensive solutions, through the delivery of coherent and ambitious practices.

We are proud to have received the recognition of PACT’s equivalence with the Coffee SR code by the Global Coffee Platform. It reinforces the assurance for producers, roasters and consumers that our standard offers an adequate, robust, and reliable framework to build the next-generation coffee supply chains.” 

•    About PACT standard, visit our webpage and download our brochure: 

  •    Queries regarding our PACT standard and its implementation? Contact:
       Queries regarding our PACT offerings? Contact: 

Rural women play a key role in supporting their households and communities, in achieving food and nutrition security, generating income, and improving rural livelihoods and overall well-being. They contribute to agriculture and rural enterprises and fuel local and global economies*.

Touton is constantly strengthening its capacity to build a sustainable cocoa supply chain that protects the forest. Here is the report...

(Article en français disponible  ici)

The Touton Group continues to reaffirm its agility and collaborative approaches, showcasing its ongoing commitment to sustainability. As an active member of the Cocoa and Forests Initiative (CFI), the company works closely with clients and public and private partners in cocoa-producing countries to safeguard tropical forests, enhance sustainable agricultural practices, and uplift local communities’ engagement and livelihoods.

Touton releases its latest CFI progress report, encapsulating key metrics and inspiring testimonials underscoring the company’s combined efforts in forest protection and restoration, sustainable agriculture, and community empowerment initiatives, particularly focusing on women and youth, within cocoa supply chains in Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Despite the challenges faced in the past season, Touton has continued to ensure compliant and responsible cocoa sourcing, rapidly incorporating the new requirements from the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).  Key indicators show progress, with remarkable advancements in the following areas, cumulative for Ghana and Ivory Coast (year-on-year comparison with 2021/22 Touton CFI report):

• A doubling in the number of cocoa farms mapped, and areas covered by Deforestation Risk Assessments. A significant acceleration as Touton almost reached 100% coverage in its direct supply chain in time for the activation of the EUDR by the end of the year.

• A 60+% increase in the number of multipurpose trees distributed during the reporting year. Representing a total of over 640 000 trees planted, this figure illustrates the surge in agroforestry interventions, in line with the sector’s intensified efforts to protect ecosystems. Touton continues to work with farmers and other experts to identify the right shade and fruit-bearing tree species that can boost cocoa yield while diversifying income in a way best suited to every given environment.

• The number of Village Savings & Loan Associations that Touton has set up this year has more than doubled, to reach close to 1000 local organisations. These associations place farming communities in the driver’s seat to provide access to finance and promote collective thinking on the businesses that can generate extra income at the individual or community level. The success stories collected in the report, especially from youth and women, highlight the spirit of entrepreneurship and creativity that are flourishing alongside cocoa farming!

Further to these encouraging figures, the report gathers testimonials from all types of actors in the supply chain to exemplify how localised and holistic approaches, based on community engagement, are showing positive impact:

• The Touton agri-preneur model by which local farmers and youth are trained to deliver agricultural services, tree planting, and forest protection sensitisation is gaining traction amongst Ivorian and Ghanaian farmers.

• Touton continues to support landscape approaches. The Group joins the Sambirano Valley Landscape project in Madagascar and enrolls in phase 2 of the Cavally Forest one in Cote d’Ivoire to combat deforestation, while strengthening the resilience of cocoa farmers, in the face of climate change.

• Several pilot programmes initiated by Touton in producing countries explain how local influencers advocate protecting forests and promoting tree planting, notably through Community Forest Protection Committees and Child Ambassador programmes. In Ghana, Touton’s local team also trialed a new type of intervention to address environmental and social issues related to menstrual health.

The Touton group recognises the need for continuous improvement across all three CFI pillars, and beyond, to ensure the long-term sustainability of the cocoa supply. This includes concerted efforts at a precompetitive level to tackle pressing challenges, such as climate change, while ensuring the company’s operations remain compliant.

As the Group finalises its Climate Strategy Roadmap, aligned with Science-Based Initiative targets, Touton keeps reinforcing its multifaceted sustainability activities to deliver holistically on its ambitions.

In its 175^th anniversary year, the Touton Group once again demonstrates its ability to adapt in the face of yet another distinctive year, highlighting its resilience and agility. The release of its 2022-2023 sustainability report serves as a testament to the group’s ability to confront new challenges...

25 000 m² is the surface area of the new logistics platform that the Touton group inaugurated on 22 February 2023 in San Pedro, Côte D'Ivoire...

We are pleased to announce changes in the organisation of the Touton Group, materialised by the nominations of: