Holding Change in your Hands

A sweet taste, a delicious flavour and a little bit(e) of happiness: We are excited to launch our new, responsibly sourced chocolate bar: The Choceur Choco Changer. As the first discount retailer, ALDI has joined Tony’s Open Chain. Together, we can amplify our positive impact and change the norm in the cocoa industry by working on ending poverty, illegal child labour, and deforestation in West Africa.

Tony’s Open Chain is an initiative run by Tony’s Chocolonely, where they invite other chocolate brands to join  Tony’s Open Chain and work together to change the norm in chocolate. ALDI is the first international discount retailer to join Tony’s Open Chain.

The cocoa beans for the Choceur CHOCO CHANGER are responsibly sourced via Tony's Open Chain. By joining Tony’s Open Chain, we commit to adopt Tony’s  5 Sourcing Principles, and embark on a joint  mission to make supply chains in the cocoa industry even more transparent. By opening our chain, we take responsibility to implement the five following commitments

• An open and transparent chain, where issues are always disclosed so they can be solved
• Direct and equal business relations throughout the entire chain
• Paying a higher price which makes a living income achievable for farmers
• Ending modern slavery and illegal child labour in the cocoa industry by setting a new industry standard
• Long-term commitment to sustainably optimise the conditions of cocoa production.

Good to know: The cocoa that ALDI uses for almost all of its own brand items containing cocoa is certified according to the standards of the UTZ/Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade.  All these standards also include conditions to prevent illegal child labour along supply chains. By going beyond certification with Tony’s Open Chain, we collaborate to become sustainability frontrunners with the CHOCO CHANGER.

In two West African countries - Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire - about 2.5 million cocoa farming families produce more than 60 % of the world’s cocoa. Cocoa is grown by smallholder farmers who may face difficult working and living conditions. ALDI is committed to fostering fair working conditions and environmentally friendly production in the cultivation of cocoa. By adopting Tony’s Open Chain’s 5 Sourcing Principles for the Choceur CHOCO CHANGER, we are creating positive change in this sector by supporting those that need it the most: the cocoa farmers in West Africa.

Tony’s BeanTracker digitally logs where the beans are at any moment in time in the supply chain from farmer to the respective cooperative on to the supplier. We believe that once we know where our beans come from, we can better tackle the issues at hand and make sure that the farmers receive their Living Income premium.

The cocoa beans flowing through Tony’s Open Chain are 100 % traceable.  All chocolate components for the Choceur CHOCO CHANGER are also fully segregated in production from any other certified or conventional cocoa.

The following cocoa farmers are affiliated with our partner cooperatives and supply to Tony’s Open Chain:

As an international company with global supply chains, we are aware of our responsibility to respect human rights. The ALDI Nord Group of Companies is certain that long-term business success can only be ensured if human rights are recognized and respected, protected and fulfilled. Human rights violations are a global issue affecting every economy, industry and sector. We have an important role to play in raising awareness for human rights and working collaboratively with our business partners and other external stakeholders to prevent, mitigate or – where necessary - remediate the adverse impact of our business activities.

More information on: Human Rights