Environmental & Ethical Statement

Our approach to chocolate, people and the planet

At Cocoba Chocolate, we believe great chocolate should be made with care. That means thinking beyond the finished product and considering the people, ingredients, packaging and supply chains behind every chocolate gift, hot chocolate and treat we create.

We are not claiming to be perfect, and we know there is always more to do. Our approach is to keep improving, work with suppliers who take responsible sourcing seriously, and make practical choices that reduce waste wherever possible.

Packaging that protects your chocolate and reduces unnecessary waste

Chocolate is delicate, especially when being delivered through the post. Our packaging needs to protect products properly, but we also want to avoid unnecessary waste where we can.

Wherever possible, we use packaging that can be recycled, reused or contains recycled materials.

This includes:

• Outer cardboard boxes made using recycled paper, which can be recycled again
• Plastic-free tape for sealing online orders
• Recyclable protective packaging used to help products arrive safely
• Plastic trays for chocolates, truffles and hot chocolates that are recyclable and made using recycled content
• Glass jars and gift tins that can be reused at home
• Recycling of cardboard and packaging waste across our own sites

We are also continuing to review packaging options as better materials become available, balancing sustainability, food safety, product protection and customer experience.

Why responsible cocoa sourcing matters

Cocoa is at the heart of what we do, but the cocoa supply chain faces real social, environmental and economic challenges. These can include farmer income, crop productivity, child protection, deforestation risk, land use, biodiversity and long-term community development.

For that reason, we work with chocolate and cocoa suppliers who have responsible sourcing standards, cocoa improvement programmes and due diligence processes in place.

Our aim is to support a supply chain where cocoa farming can become more resilient over time, with better outcomes for farming communities and the environment.

What we look for from our cocoa and chocolate suppliers

When choosing suppliers, we look for evidence that they are taking meaningful action across the areas that matter most in cocoa.

These areas include:

Supporting cocoa farmers

We want to work with suppliers who recognise that long-term cocoa supply depends on farming communities being able to build more secure and sustainable livelihoods.

This can include support around:

• Farmer training and coaching
• Better agricultural practices
• Crop productivity
• Access to farm services
• Income diversification
• Farmer group support
• Premiums or investment linked to cocoa improvement programmes

Protecting children and communities

Ethical sourcing is not only about the environment. It must also consider people, families and local communities.

We look for suppliers who take human rights due diligence seriously, including work around:

• Child protection systems
• Community engagement
• Risk assessment
• Remediation processes where issues are identified
• Women's empowerment and access to finance
• Community development planning

Supporting nature and reducing deforestation risk

Cocoa farming is closely linked to land use, forests and biodiversity. We therefore value supplier programmes that work to reduce deforestation risk and support more environmentally responsible farming practices.

This can include:

• Farm mapping and traceability
• Deforestation risk checks
• Agroforestry and shade tree planting
• Soil health and biodiversity support
• Farmer training on environmental protection
• Landscape-level initiatives

Traceability and transparency

We believe responsible sourcing needs to be backed by more than broad claims. Where available, we look for supplier information that gives better visibility of where cocoa comes from, how programmes are managed and how progress is measured.

This can include:

• Traceability systems
• Farm-level or farmer-group data
• Independent verification
• Annual progress reporting
• Clear allocation of programme investment
• Evidence-led impact reporting

We do not use supplier logos, certification marks or branded sustainability claims unless the correct rights, permissions and approvals are in place.

Our commitment to honest communication

We want our environmental and ethical statements to be clear, accurate and proportionate. We avoid broad, vague claims such as "fully sustainable", "eco-friendly" or "green" unless they can be properly evidenced.

Instead, we aim to explain what we are doing, where our suppliers are helping, and where we still have room to improve.

This matters because customers should be able to understand what a brand is actually doing, rather than being asked to rely on generic sustainability language.

What we are doing at Cocoba

Our current focus areas are:

• Continuing to use recyclable and reusable packaging where practical
• Reviewing packaging materials as better options become available
• Working with suppliers who have responsible cocoa sourcing programmes
• Avoiding unsupported environmental claims
• Improving transparency around our supply chain and product materials
• Reducing unnecessary waste across our own operations
• Encouraging customers to reuse jars, tins and gift packaging where possible

Continuous improvement

Responsible business is not a one-off project. It is an ongoing process of reviewing, improving and making better decisions over time.

As Cocoba grows, we will continue to assess our packaging, suppliers, sourcing standards and internal processes so that we can make progress in a practical and honest way.

Our goal is simple: to create chocolate people love, while making thoughtful choices for our customers, our suppliers, cocoa-growing communities and the planet.