Luker Chocolate reports significant progress on sustainability policies with latest annual report
Luker Chocolate has just gained B Corp status. Pic: Luker
A series of positive gains has been delivered by Luker Chocolate in its annual report, including progress against its core sustainability targets on supporting farmers with enhanced pay, traceability and environmental practices, writes Neill Barston.
The business, which claimed honours for its ethical sourcing at the World Confectionery Conference in 2024, and will be returning to present at our next event on 11 September 2025 in Brussels, Belgium at the Marriott Hotel, Grand Place, has continued its mission to to enhance its operations working with a wide range of companies across the globe.
As its latest report details, as of October 2024, all Luker exports to Europe met compliance with EUDR requirements to prevent deforestation in its supply chains – which exceeded the deadlines for the legislation which had been set to enter force at the end of last year. However, in the wake of political and industrial lobbying to the EU Commission, as well as technical issues surrounding the implementation of the major legislative framework, businesses have been allowed an extra year to meet the new standards. These will for the first time make it mandatory for companies to demonstrate that supply chains are deforestation free.
Furthermore, as Luker confirmed, a total of 4,320 farming families with improved quality of life through education, rural entrepreneurship, and human rights enforcement, as well as attaining a 22% reduction on scope 1 and 2 in energy and industrial carbon emissions, which represents another core element of its strategy.
In addition, the company’s status as a B-Corp enterprise, operating to enhanced sustainability standards has also proved pivotal to its overall approach to enterprise, and is continuing to yield positives for the business across its various elements.
Julia Ocampo, vice president of cacao sourcing and sustainability, speaking in the forward to the reported observed that last year had been a year of having to continually adapting to challenging market conditions. These tests peaked with the comparatively high cocoa prices that soared to $12,000 at the end of last year, and remained at that figure into the start of this year, though have since slowed a little in recent weeks.
However, wider sector volatility remains, which the sustainability specialist noted had made it more significant than ever in terms of backing its core farmer network through paying 103% of the market price. This has reportedly had a profound positive impact on communities with which it deals in Colombia, that has seen incomes being tripled. Consequently, in spite of such background challenges, the company delivered one of its largest harvests, totalling 73,000 tons.
In her analysis, Julia Ocampo commented: “This year made it clear that, despite volatility, we share a common purpose with our clients, partners, and suppliers: securing the future of chocolate. Uncertainty highlighted the importance of the collaborative approach we have always prioritised, reinforcing our focus on long-term sustainability.
“Through The Chocolate Dream, we supported over 4,300 families, reinforcing our commitment to shared value at origin and carried out 27 active projects directly impacting communities across 6 regions in Colombia. Investment reached 6% of our EBITDA, and for every $1 committed by Luker Chocolate, an additional $1 was leveraged in value through the support of local and international allies, as well as clients actively participating in the Dreamers Club.
” As a proud B Corp-certified, we firmly believe that for our business to be sustainable, the entire supply chain must be as well. This year, we had to make adjustments that tested our resilience and challenged us to innovate, always with the goal of protecting both the communities we work with and the commitments we have made to our clients. We invite you to explore this report to better understand the steps we’ve taken, the lessons we’ve learned, and the path forward as we continue to shape a more sustainable and equitable chocolate industry.”
