Sustainability program reaches 40,000 farmers

June 20, 2011, Chicago – Blommer Chocolate Company has reached a milestone, recruiting 40,000 Ivory Coast cocoa farmers for its sustainability program.

This marks the achievement of one of the company’s key corporate social responsibility goals: sourcing sustainable cocoa. The three-pronged sustainability program focuses on “people, planet and profitability for farmers.” It provides tools and training to increase cocoa yields and farmer incomes while practicing sound environmental stewardship.

“Blommer has a long history of supporting cocoa community sustainability, beginning in the 1950s when our founder, Henry Blommer began what is now the World Cocoa Foundation,” said Peter Blommer, president for Blommer Chocolate. “We are proud of the impact we’ve been able to make on so many farmers’ lives by training them on improving crop yield and quality and sustainability of the land for future cocoa crops.”

So far this year, Blommer has sourced over 100,000 metric tons of cocoa, including over 10,000 metric tons of Rain Forest Alliance certified cocoa.