Tony’s Chocolonely has raised concerns over Lidl’s chocolate bar design, highlighting sourcing principles as a key issue.
- Lidl’s ‘Way To Go’ chocolate bar mimics Tony’s Chocolonely’s design but lacks equivalent sourcing standards.
- Tony’s Chocolonely emphasises their strict sourcing principles, aiming to reduce child labour and support cocoa farmers.
- Lidl defends its Fairtrade-certified approach, promoting income improvement and sustainability for farmers.
- The debate centres on ethical sourcing and the responsibility of brands in supporting sustainable cocoa farming.
Tony’s Chocolonely has expressed dissatisfaction with Lidl’s creation of a chocolate bar that closely resembles their own, citing a divergence in sourcing ethics. According to Tony’s, Lidl’s ‘Way To Go’ chocolate bar imitates their distinctive unequally divided bar design but fails to adopt Tony’s robust sourcing principles, which include traceability and paying farmers a living income.
Lidl, on the other hand, asserts that their chocolate is produced from 100% traceable cocoa obtained from farmers of the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative in Ghana. They claim to pay these cocoa farmers the Fairtrade Minimum Price and an additional sum called the Fairtrade Premium. Moreover, Lidl adds an extra amount per tonne of cocoa purchased to help farmers cultivate other local crops, contributing to a sustainable future.
Tony’s Chocolonely adheres to five stringent sourcing principles intended to foster supportive, transparent, and ethical cocoa farming communities. These principles reportedly result in reduced child labour and are linked to significant improvements in cocoa household income in regions such as Côte d’Ivoire. Tony’s collaborates with other brands through the Tony’s Open Chain initiative to transform cocoa supply chains and promote human rights.
In response to Lidl’s stance, Tony’s Chocolonely has urged them to consider adopting their five sourcing principles, emphasising that any replication of their product design should involve a commitment to these ethical standards. Tony’s argues that merely copying their design without embracing the entire ethos, or joining the Tony’s Open Chain, feels inadequate.
Lidl defends its practices by underscoring its collaboration with Fairtrade to develop the ‘Way To Go’ strategy, which focuses on empowering farmers through income diversification and tackling social issues like gender equity. Lidl insists on the transparency and traceability of their products and aims to broaden their approach to other products such as coffee and cashews, leveraging their partnership with Fairtrade.
The discussion between Tony’s Chocolonely and Lidl highlights the ongoing debate over ethical sourcing in the chocolate industry.
