News - Details

Release of SWISSCO’s Annual Report 2022

2022 marked a year of growth in the share of sustainably sourced cocoa as well as in the membership numbers, the first project phase co-financed by SECO was concluded and a new financing facility, prominently featuring landscape projects, was kicked-off and the collaboration with the ISCOs was taken to a next level with the introduction of ISCO Working Groups.

SWISSCO had its 5th Annual General Assembly on May 25, co-hosted by Villars Maître Chocolatier in Fribourg. Members and partners gathered to address significant matters, including the release of the annual report, which showcases the organization's achievements, challenges, and future plans. The report provides valuable insights into SWISSCO's efforts to promote sustainability within the cocoa industry, reflecting its commitment to driving positive change throughout the cocoa value chain.

In summary, the report showcases:

  • Sustainable imports: 75 % of cocoa bean equivalents imported into Switzerland in 2022 were sourced from sustainable production, up from 71 % in the previous year. SWISSCO’s goal is to reach 80 % by 2025 and 100 % by 2030.
     
  • Projects: At the end of 2022, most projects in cocoa-growing regions from the project cycle 2018-2022 have been completed. A new funding cycle was started, focusing among others on so-called Landscape Approaches. In total, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO is providing CHF 13 million for the new project cycle (2023-2026).
     
  • Organisation: 13 new members joined SWISSCO in 2022. The association now counts 82 members, divided into five sectors: manufacturers and traders, food retailers, the public sector, non-profit organisations, and research institutions – as well as associated partners.
     
  • Network: As of 2022, all previous Swiss-level working groups were merged into joint working groups of SWISSCO and the other four European Initiatives on Sustainable Cocoa (ISCOs). The new working groups have successfully started to operate, covering the topics of living income, child labour, forests & agroforestry, traceability & transparency, as well as monitoring & evaluation.
     
  • International collaboration: The highlight of SWISSCO’s collaboration with the other European Initiatives on Sustainable Cocoa (ISCOs) was the first ISCOnference taking place in Brussels in September 2022. In addition, representatives of the Coordination Office visited several cocoa-growing countries in 2022 and fostered dialogue and cooperation with representatives in producer countries.

 

ANNUAL REPORT 2022​​​​​​​

Back