Our Sustainable Practices

At Godiva we support sustainable practices and programs on a worldwide basis. We strive to invest in programs and practices that lead to lasting positive outcomes for our consumers, partners and communities. We are proud of the work that we do to support farmers and our partners, safeguard our environment, and empower the communities in which we work and live.

Enriching Lives

Godiva is a participating member of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), a leading nonprofit organization that promotes sustainability in the cocoa sector by providing cocoa farmers with the support they need to grow more quality cocoa and strengthen their communities. The WCF's work has led to increased productivity and profits for cocoa farmers, helping to ensure a sustainable supply of cocoa for generations to come.

We also participate in cocoa sustainability activities through the Cocoa Horizons Foundation, which seeks to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers and their communities through the promotion of sustainable, entrepreneurial farming, improved productivity, and community development. Through our support of the Cocoa Horizons Foundation, we aim to improve farming practices and explore innovative solutions to drive positive change in cocoa-growing communities.

A critical component of enriching lives is the protection of the world’s children, as well as improved training and education for young people. Godiva believes that protecting children is a shared responsibility across the cocoa industry. We strongly condemn forced labor or any practice that exploits, endangers or harms children. While Godiva does not own any cocoa farms, we have a policy that requires all of our suppliers to be in compliance with applicable labor laws and regulations. Our cocoa is purchased through established suppliers that agree to comply with applicable labor laws.

An essential part of our work in communities is our commitment to empower women and children. We are proud partners of Save the Children, the world’s leading independent non-profit organization for children in nearly 120 countries. They have two decades of experience implementing programs in the Côte d’ Ivoire, which is the world’s largest cocoa growing country. Through our collaboration with Save the Children, we are helping to prevent child and maternal deaths in this important cocoa-growing country by addressing causes and finding solutions so that women and their children survive childbirth.

Save the Children has apprised us that our support has increased access to and supply of quality health services, strengthened the capacity of communities to demand quality essential practices for maternal health, and helped advocate for equitable health services in the region. Our commitment to improving health and our partnership with Save the Children has positioned us to potentially benefit even more women and children in this region.

A hallmark of our work to empower women is The Lady GODIVA Program, which celebrates inspirational women. Each year, we recognize women in local communities who embody the spirit of Lady Godiva through their attributes of selflessness, generosity and leadership. We contribute to their causes which include fighting hunger, poverty and environmental degradation. In the first year of the program, Godiva partnered with the charitable organization FEED Projects, to sell an exclusive FEED 10 bag in our retail boutiques and online, which resulted in the funding of over 300,000 school meals for children in cocoa growing countries of West Africa. Since then, we have expanded The Lady GODIVA Program to award grants to local women each year who are making a difference in their communities in critical areas such as health care, child welfare and animal protection.

Godiva also contributes the time and energies of our employees to important charitable initiatives including environmental stewardship, social and economic development, and organizations that protect and support women and children. Our global employee volunteering program, Godiva Gives, encourages our employees to dedicate their time each year during normal working hours to causes that are important to them, and that support the communities where we live and work. We are extremely proud of the passion and commitment of our employees for giving back.

Enriching the Planet

We are committed to ensuring the sustainability of our world, and continue to build responsible practices into our sourcing and supply chain. We believe in safeguarding the environment through sound agricultural practices and the responsible use of resources.

We have achieved 100% sourcing of sustainable palm oil and are a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RPSO), a not-for-profit association that aims to transform markets to make sustainable palm oil the norm.

We also have set an ambitious target to source 100% sustainable cocoa by 2020, and are actively taking steps to achieve this goal.