We are committed to contributing to the communities in which we operate. It is this close connection and local involvement that has enabled Puratos to develop into the international organization that it is today. Puratos wants to create more value for society by tackling the issues of inequality and the unequal access to educational resources, living income and healthcare.
Two foundations were created in 2016. The Bakery Foundation was established to provide quality education to underprivileged youngsters in developing countries.
The mission of the Next Generation Cacoa Foundation is to contribute to the social, economic and environmental development of cocoa farmers and communities that are part of the Cacao-Trace programme.
Our performances in 2020
- 12 students graduated in Brazil and 17 in Mexico. Due to Covid-19, our senior class in India will graduate in 2021.
- • We collected a total bonus of €453.675 for our Cacao-Trace farmers (+11% compared to 2019).
Our long-term objectives
- Find job placements for all graduates.
- Open one bakery school every year.
- Increase the total Chocolate Bonus (€ 0.10/kg) reallocated to farmers annually.
When Puratos started operating in India, we noticed many children on the streets. They were youngsters with little hope for the future. Their parents earned minimal wages and had no possibility of investing in their children’s education.
At the same time, we became aware of the challenge we faced in finding qualified technical advisors, whilst our customers faced serious shortages of skilled bakers, patissiers and chocolatiers.
In order to help those who are less fortunate and teach them the skills they need to work in our industry, we decided to open a bakery school. The courses have been designed to take pupils beyond basic education and give them the practical training they need to earn a decent living. The programme includes internships in various companies for which the students are paid. We also commit to employing graduates in our subsidiaries, on the basis of merit, or to finding work for them among our customers.
Today the Bakery School Foundation has invested in bakery schools in India, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and Romania. Others will open soon. By 2030 we aspire to be continuously enabling 1.000 young people from developing countries to live their passion in one of our bakery schools.
The Next Generation Cacao Foundation is the not-for-profit organisation behind the Cacao-Trace programme It aims at improving the living standard of the cacao farmers and making sure that the farmers receive a fair share of the value that is created in the chocolate supply chain. The Foundation achieves this by distributing the “Chocolate Bonus”, a premium that the Cacao-Trace customers are paying.
The foundation operates as a vehicle to collect and allocate the chocolate bonus: 100% of the amounts collected are reaching the farmers. All the running costs are covered by Belcolade.
Our reforestation project in Tikul, Mexico contributes to safeguarding cocoa cultivation and future biodiversity. Together with the local Choco-Story museum it also provides safe and stable employment for local people, enabling families to stay together in a region with little formal employment.
We aim to help the local people by ensuring that the plantation and the Eco museum contribute both directly and indirectly to employment, and we guarantee a safe working environment. We want the project to help local workers by promoting the relationship between cocoa and the Mayan culture. In this way we aim to ensure a sustainable future for all of those connected to the production of cocoa. Through a reciprocal relationship we support farmers working on the plantation, as well as the women’s cooperative working on the processing of citrus fruits that grow in the valley. Those local fruits are processed into powder which is sold through the Puratos network.
People
We wish to take care of our employees for they are the heart of Puratos.
Annual Report 2020
Our commitments to you and to future generations
