Starling backs Barry Callebaut for a deforestation-free cocoa supply chain

Barry Callebaut is the world’s leading chocolate and cocoa manufacturer, playing a central role in the global chocolate supply chain. In response to the social and environmental challenges facing the industry, the company launched its Forever Chocolate program in 2016, with the bold ambition of making sustainable chocolate the norm by 2025.

The program’s key goals include eradicating child labor, lifting farmers out of poverty, becoming carbon and forest positive, and sourcing only sustainable ingredients. This comprehensive strategy also aligns with the company’s objectives to combat deforestation, reduce greenhouse emissions, and protect biodiversity.

However, achieving full traceability and transparency throughout the supply chain represents a complex logistical and technological hurdle for global actors like Barry Callebaut. To meet this challenge, the company has chosen Starling to monitor its entire cocoa supply chain and advance its strict forest positive commitments with serenity.

As part of its ‘Forever Chocolate’ programme, Barry Callebaut has made a strong commitment to sustainable sourcing. The Group leverages the Starling solution, making use of Airbus’ very high-resolution optical imagery (30cm resolution) from the Pléiades Neo satellites. 

Starling automatically analyses Barry Callebaut’s supply chain to provide information about all cocoa plots. It produces global detailed land-cover maps that differentiate between natural forest, plantation, agroforestry, and other land types, drastically reducing the number of false positive alerts. AI-powered algorithms continuously monitor changes in forest cover to accurately spot any deforestation and conversion alerts that would be in breach with the company’s forest policy or regulations. In addition, Starling provides evidence verification based on very high-resolution satellite imagery at the plot level, thus limiting the burden of field investigation along with fostering discussions with buyers and suppliers. Finally, we conduct risk assessments to identify areas at risk of future deforestation based on historical land use and practices.

By integrating Starling, the cocoa and chocolate trader proactively monitors and seeks to mitigate environmental risks within and around cocoa farms, supporting both internal controls and compliance. Barry Callebaut gains reliable, up-to-date insights to engage its suppliers with the aim of meeting its sustainability commitments effectively.

With over 175 years of expertise, Barry Callebaut is the world’s leading chocolate and cocoa manufacturer, supplying innovative and sustainable solutions to confectionery and food brands globally. The company is committed to making sustainable chocolate the norm through its Forever Chocolate program, guiding its ethical sourcing and sustainable practices.

Earthworm Foundation is a non-profit organisation motivated by the desire to positively impact the relationship between people and nature through transforming supply chains. With much of their staff operating directly on the ground, Earthworm works jointly with member companies and partners to transform raw material value chains that drive positive economic, environmental and social impacts.