Schogetten—Raw Materials
Taking responsibility for sustainability is especially important with respect to raw materials that come to us from faraway countries. Of these, cocoa is one of the most important ingredients for Schogetten because, of course, it is the basis for chocolate.
Palm oil is also an issue. We never use palm oil in the chocolate itself, but in some fillings the properties of palm oil are important for the recipe. However, this palm oil comes from 100% certified sustainable cultivation.
Cocoa farming
Cocoa is largely grown on small farms in West Africa, by farmers who have little access to modern agricultural knowledge and are dependent on local cocoa buyers who do not always pay fair prices. In such circumstances, farmers cannot make a good living from growing cocoa, leading to the clearing of rainforests to create new cultivation areas, extensive use of fertilizer and pesticides, exploitative child labor, and poor living conditions for women. The aim is to combat these issues—through knowledge sharing and better prices, among other things—so that farmers and families can make a better living from the business of cocoa cultivation.
Our commitment to cocoa
Cocoa commitment is the KRÜGER GROUP’s solution-oriented sustainability program. It stands for fair trade throughout the cocoa value chain. The Schogetten brand is a partner of cocoa commitment and is committed to sustainability in the cocoa sector.
Cocoa commitment—the program
Responsibly farmed cocoa
Cocoa is a precious commodity that passes through many hands and travels over several continents on its journey from the farm to the finished product. One topic is becoming increasingly important in this process: sustainability. This comprises many dimensions—the welfare of cocoa farmers and their families, the preservation of biodiversity, and the protection of forests and the climate. The KRÜGER GROUP’s answer: cocoa commitment.
Effective solutions
With the cocoa commitment sustainability program, the Schogetten brand is committed to developing and implementing effective solutions for the sustainability challenges in cocoa cultivation.
Cocoa commitment looks at the entire cocoa value chain—from the living conditions of the farmers to environmentally friendly cultivation to the end product. The entire journey is vertically integrated and completely traceable—from the farms to the cocoa-processing factory in Germany, where cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and cocoa mass are made from the cocoa beans (mass balance system). These and other ingredients are then used to make our delicious Schogetten pieces. The program builds on the established Rainforest Alliance standard and supplements this with additional measures.
Three pillars
Cocoa commitment is based on three pillars whose measures are interlinked.
- Increasing growers’ success: We are committed to promoting agroforestry, where knowledge and skills relating to Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) ensure high yields in the long term, while reducing the use of pesticides and fertilizers.
- Promoting environmental protection: We advocate environmentally sound cocoa farming and Climate Smart Cocoa, which uses locally adapted farming strategies to protect forests, increase biodiversity, and prevent deforestation. This is monitored in various ways, including cultivation mapping.
- Strengthening local communities: Fair revenues from cocoa cultivation, the prevention of exploitative child labor through the Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System in villages, and the creation of independent income opportunities for the wives of cocoa farmers through Village Savings and Loan Associations all have a positive impact on the income and living situation of entire villages and regions.
The seal on our Schogetten packages informs you that our products have been produced responsibly and that we are using sustainably grown cocoa from the cocoa commitment sustainability program. This program aims to improve the living conditions of cocoa farmers and their families and to make cocoa cultivation more environmentally friendly.
4-0146-11-100-00
Our commitment to sustainably grown palm oil
Ludwig Schokolade avoids the use of palm oil whenever technically possible. We never use palm oil in the chocolate itself. However, palm oil is irreplaceable in certain chocolate fillings, for example, because its properties are important for the recipe. Here, we only use RSPO-certified palm oil, which has been grown sustainably and meets the higher “segregated” level. RSPO stands for “Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil”, which is the world’s most important initiative for the promotion of sustainable palm oil cultivation. No valuable primeval forests are cleared for this palm oil, meaning that unique habitats for plants and animals are preserved. Palm oil of the higher “segregated” certification level is strictly separated from non-certified palm oil so that no mixing occurs at any point throughout the production and supply chain.
