Valrhona
Large -- major French couverture-chocolate manufacturer supplying pastry chefs and chocolatiers worldwide.
Tain-l'Hermitage, France; cocoa sourced from named, geolocated plots in Madagascar, Peru, Dominican Republic, Ghana and other origins, France
valrhona.com ↗verification source ↗
Quality assessment
Per-lot/plot traceability is the single strongest traceability claim this rubric recognises, and Valrhona documents it concretely: 100% of cocoa purchases have been traceable to a geolocated, mapped originating plot since 2018, with long-term direct contracts (8.5-year average) rather than spot-market buying. A real, independently-audited certification (Fairtrade/Max Havelaar, Fair for Life) already covers a growing share of purchases with a published roadmap to 100% by 2030. This is a manufacturer, not a farm, but the traceability documentation is the most rigorous found in this batch for a processor.
- Scale
- Large -- major French couverture-chocolate manufacturer supplying pastry chefs and chocolatiers worldwide.
Products
chocolate (couverture)
Practices
100% of cocoa purchases traceable to the originating plot since 2018 -- partner growers' plots geolocated and mappedLong-term direct contracts with producers/cooperatives, averaging 8.5 years, minimum 3-year termsZero-deforestation policy
Certifications
Fairtrade/Max Havelaar and Fair for Life certification on a growing share of purchases (~30% as of 2025, targeting 100% by 2030)
Served at
Sources
What the quality assessment above is built on.
- valrhona.com ↗
100% plot-level traceability since 2018, geolocated plots, long-term contracts
- valrhona.com ↗
Fairtrade/Max Havelaar and Fair for Life certification share and 2030 roadmap