ZURICH, Switzerland — As a leader and trusted partner in the global food Supply Chain, Barry Callebaut plays a critical social role in continuing to produce food products during these challenging times. Governments across the globe have reiterated the importance of keeping the food supply chains intact.
“By keeping our factories running, requiring inputs from our suppliers, including from cocoa farmers, and continuing to supply our customers we contribute to a functioning supply chain,” says the company in a press release.
n compliance with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, local regulations and government directives on COVID-19, Barry Callebaut has halted all activities that require:
The unnecessary movement of Barry Callebaut’s Sourcing and Sustainability employees from cities to farms or villages
Large gatherings of farmers or farmer communities
Close interactions with farmers’ families, households or communities (e.g. census, data collection, trainings, etc.)
Third-party labor (e.g. providing support for sustainability activities)
Coaches are updating farmers on hygiene and social distancing
In order to support cocoa farmers and their communities, Barry Callebaut has identified activities which continue to be implemented at the date of this publication through locally-based coaches who live in farming communities.
These coaches have been trained, and will continue to be updated with the latest guidelines, on COVID-19, via phone, and will support farmers while respecting governmental and Barry Callebaut guidelines (e.g. only one-to-one interaction whilst practicing social distancing, hand washing, no hand shaking), on the following activities: Farm Business Plans, certification, mapping, coaching visits, and Productivity Package deliveries.
Finally, while individuals across the globe are being severely impacted by the health and economic ramifications from the Corona pandemic, Barry Callebaut recognizes the additional need to support and protect at-risk communities in our supply chain, who are already struggling in these areas. To do so, they have committed to:
Distribute official WHO posters with COVID-19 protective instructions to farmer groups, via local coaches.
Sensitize farmers on the risk of COVID-19, and provide each family with soap, via local coaches while interacting for official purposes.
Support governmental dissemination of evolving and urgent information to remote communities, via our coaching networks.
