Whittaker's Chocolate

Values

About

After sailing to Christchurch in 1890, J.H Whittaker began making and selling chocolate from the back of his horse and cart. Fast forward to today, Whittaker’s Chocolate is New Zealand’s most loved chocolate brand and have been voted “New Zealand’s Most Trusted Brand” 12 years in a row.

“Cocoa often comes from developing countries, and as a result, there can be a big disconnect between how cocoa is grown, the conditions people live in and the end consumer where it’s a luxury treat. So this is where ethical sourcing comes in.”

Whittaker’s ethical sourcing journey began in 2010 with their Creamy Milk Block crafted from ethically sourced Ghanaian cocoa beans, followed by their 72% Dark Ghana 250g block in 2014.

In 2020, they began a partnership with the Rainforest Alliance, ensuring all 116 of their products crafted from Ghanaian cocoa beans are now 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified™.

In Ghana, Whittaker’s work with three cocoa bean cooperatives,

• the Assin Fosu Cooperative, in Central Ghana,

• the Tarkwa-Huni Valley Cooperative, in South-West Ghana, and

• the Asankrangwa Cooperative, also in South-West Ghana.

All three are Rainforest Alliance Certified™ which means they must farm in a way that protects natural resources (like land and water), and they must provide a safe place to work, where human rights are respected and workers are paid fairly. Whittaker’s understand the importance of building long-term personal relationships with their suppliers and make an effort to support them on the ground too. In 2019, the team spent time with Assin Fosu and Asankrangwa to understand their values and approach to producing cocoa.

After asking their cooperatives what else they could do to help the community, they learned that the community needed more washrooms in schools and boreholes in communities. Whittaker’s funded the design and build of two washrooms, including a plumbing system to reduce the risk of wastewater contamination. In 2022, Matt Whittaker, Whittaker’s co-Chief Operating Officer, spent time with farmers on the ground in Ghana and checked out the new washrooms.

Whittaker’s also maintains a wonderful partnership with cocoa suppliers in Samoa. They work closely with Tuipai Saleimoa Vaa’i (Sale), of Savai’i Koko to not only source the highest quality cocoa beans, but also support the local industry and communities.

Through the ‘Whittaker’s Cocoa Improvement Programme’, they supply Savai’i Koko with key resources like moisture metres, pruning equipment, and fermentation boxes. This allows Savai’i Koko to support local cocoa farmers, by providing centralised processing facilities, best practice training, and conducting thorough quality checks. Whittaker’s also offers farmers training in sustainable horticultural practices to prevent risk of deforestation or environmental damage.

Tuipai Saleimoa Vaa’i (Sale), Managing Director of Savai’i Koko, says that the partnership has enabled them to do more social impact work and has raised awareness and enthusiasm among farmers now they can earn money from cocoa. Fun fact: our very own co-founder, Dr Susan Maiava used to teach with Sale's wife, Dr Sina Va'ai, at the National University of Samoa.

In 2021, Whittaker’s achieved 100% traceability in Samoa and Nicaragua through their direct relationships. In 2022, they achieved 100% traceability to Identity Preserved (IP) level in Ghana through geo-mapping. Geo-mapping is a process of taking land-based data (e.g. addresses of farms) and using this to create a standard mapped area. It allows the company to see trends such as any movements of land, change of addresses, or additional farm sites and new buildings and take any necessary action. Ultimately, geo-mapping helps to increase the overall transparency of the cocoa supply chain by enabling Whittaker’s to trace certified beans back to the farm and provide detailed information on how they were grown.

Besides the geo-mapping, additional measures are taken throughout the supply chain to prevent mixing of traceable and non-traceable cocoa beans. Traceable beans are transported on dedicated trucks, and are stored separately from non-traceable beans all the way through the supply chain. At the port, sacks of traceable cocoa beans are stacked in a separate warehouse space from other cocoa. The stacks are on a per client basis, with each client having a distinct and segregated stack. Regular audits are carried out to ensure these measures are being adhered to.

Whittaker’s have also been part of some incredible community work over the years, from partnerships with nationwide charities like Plunket, to donating chocolate, to supporting Women’s Refuge and the NZ Breast Cancer Foundation.

Dive Deeper

Whittaker’s Modern Slavery Policy
Whittaker’s Supply Chain Geo-Mapping