The cocoa sector faces several challenges. Poor soil fertility management, aging tree stocks, improper use of chemicals and uncontrolled deforestation are threats to the sustainability of cocoa farming. At the same time the farmers are faced with poor labor conditions and low income.

Consumers are increasingly aware of these situations and demand products that are grown in a responsible way. Using its experience in coffee and working together with key industry members such as Mars, Nestle and Heinz, UTZ CERTIFIED is committed to making a difference for the cocoa sector. The goal is to create an efficient certification and traceability program for socially and environmentally responsible cocoa production that meets the needs of both producers and markets.

Value From UTZ CERTIFIED Program

Value For Producers:

Professional farm management: focus on good agricultural practices.

Continuous improvement: facilitating long term improvements in productivity, quality and cost efficiency.

Market access with ‘a better price for a better product’: creating long term relationships with buyers and getting recognition and reward for sustainably produced products.

Value For Consumers:

Enjoy: continue enjoying your favorite brands!

Trust: independent assurance that your favorite brands are taking responsibility.

Transparency: know where your product has come from and how it was produced.

Value For Buyers:

CNX’s UTZ CERTIFIED Cocoa Program

Following the world market trend that more and more customers would like to buy responsible produced products, and in order to bring sustainable values in cocoa production to our affiliated farmers - from March 2011, together with 260 households in Ea Kar and Lak districts of Dak Lak province, CNX has started its UTZ CERTIFIED program. Ea Kar and Lak are the first districts in Central Highlands where cocoa has been introduced to small households to be planting as concentrated production areas since 2007 by the SUCCESS Alliance project[1]. In Lak district, 100% members are indigenous minorities such as M’Nong and Ede.

CNX and its members have to strictly follow the UTZ CERTIFIED Code of Conduct, a set of social and environmental criteria for responsible cocoa-growing practices and efficient farm management.  Its criteria mainly fall into three categories:

Good Agricultural & Business practices:

·         monitoring business processes

·         record-keeping of fertilizers & agro-chemicals

·         good housekeeping practices

·         workers trained properly

·         implementation of accident and emergency procedures

·         implementation of hygiene rules and practices

·         traceability of cocoa

·         annual internal inspections

Social Criteria:

·         workers are protected by national laws and ILO conventions regarding age, working hours, pensions, working conditions, collective bargaining and safety

·         workers receive training in their own language about safe handling of chemicals

·         workers receive protective clothing for the use of chemicals

·         access to health care for the workers and their families

·         access to education for children

·         access to decent housing

·         access to clean drinking water

Environmental Criteria:

·         reduce and prevent soil erosion

·         responsible and minimal use of agrochemicals

·         implementation of Integrated Pest Management

·         minimize water usage and environmental pollution

·         minimize energy use

·         optimize use of sustainable energy sources

·         treatment of contaminated water

·         protecting water sources

·         no deforestation of primary forests

·         use of native tree species as cocoa shade trees

·         protecting endangered species

After 10 months with best efforts, by January 2012 CNX and its affiliated farmers have granted UTZ CERTIFIED Certificate by the CAFECONTROL company, the Certified Body for UTZ CERTIFIED in Vietnam. For more information about CNX’s UTZ CERTIFIED Program and CNX’s UTZ CERTIFIED cocoa product, please contact:

Cao Nguyen Xanh Joint Sock Company

135 Nguyen Luong Bang, Buon Ma Thuot city, Dak Lak province

Attention: Mr. Dinh Hai Lam, General Director

Tel.: +84-5003 832688 – Fax: +84-5003 832680 – HP: 84-913 532563

Email. lam.dinh@cnx.com.vn – Website: www.cnx.com.vn

[1]SUCCESS Alliance is a public-private partnership among the USAID;  USDA;  ACDI/VOCA; Mars Inc., and the World  Cocoa Foundation (WCF) . Its goals aim to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by promoting cocoa production and marketing in a way that is economically, environmentally, socially and culturally sustainable  ( www.thesuccessalliance.org).