Cocoa

Product Standard for Contract Production

This standard covers the production, purchase and sale of cocoa beans and processed cocoa. Cocoa beans are the fermented and dried whole seeds of the cocoa tree (Theobroma cocoa).

For Contract Production organizations, only cocoa produced in the Pacific region is covered.

Cocoa / Cacao / Cacao / Cacau

Current Standard

This standard applies to all Fairtrade certified cocoa producers and traders and is valid from the 1 January 2023.

EN | Fairtrade Standard for Cocoa

ES | Criterio de Comercio Justo Fairtrade para Cacao

FR | Standard du Commerce Equitable Fairtrade pour le cacao

Explanatory note on current standard

(Updated February 2019 following price review)

EN | Explanatory note on Cocoa standard

ES | Documento explicativo (próximamente)

FR | Note explicative (arrive bientôt)

Former Standard

EN | Fairtrade Standard for Cocoa (former)

ES | Criterio de Comercio Justo Fairtrade para Cacao (anterior)

FR | Standard du Commerce Equitable Fairtrade pour le cacao (précédent)


For information on the changes of former version, please see the following main changes document.

EN | Main changes document

ES | Documento de los cambios principales

FR | Document sur les principaux changements

Guidance documents on productivity and quality improvement

Fairtrade International offers the following guidance documents as a complement for the Fairtrade Cocoa Standard.

The following guidance document on productivity and quality improvements is designed as a support document for cocoa producer organizations. It provides an explanation on what productivity and/or quality improvement is and what investments this may require, as well as additional information on the reporting of these investments. This document relates to section 4.3.7 and 4.3.8 of the Fairtrade Standard for Cocoa for Small Producer Organizations.

EN | Guidance productivity and quality improvement

ES | Mejora de la productividady de la calidad

FR | Amélioration de la productivité et de la qualité

The Fairtrade Standard for Cocoa covers the requirements which are specific to cocoa producers and traders.

Fairtrade cocoa producers must comply with either the Fairtrade Standard for Small Producer Organizationsor the Fairtrade Standard for Contract Production (only for the Pacific region) and the Fairtrade Standard for Cocoa. For producers this standard complements, and should be read together with, the Fairtrade Standard for Small Producer Organizations or the Fairtrade Standard for Contract Production.

For Contract Production, only cocoa products from the Pacific region are covered: Cocoa beans, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, cocoa powder

This product-specific standard applies (whole or in part) to contract production organizations as explained here. Together, the Fairtrade Standard for Contract Production and the product standard above define the terms of trade. Please read both documents for further guidance.

Does your company want to trade this Fairtrade product?

Aspects of this product standard also apply to companies that wish to trade with producers. The product standard above works in conjunction with the Fairtrade Trader Standard to outline the terms of trade for this product.