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#FollowTheFrog: Dr. Oetker with Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa

Dr. Oetker almost exclusively purchases cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms and takes part in global campaign #FollowTheFrog.

#FollowTheFrog: Dr. Oetker with Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa

19.9.2022 Sustainability

Bielefeld, September 2022 – Dr. Oetker almost exclusively purchases cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, an organisation that is committed to more sustainable cocoa cultivation in relation to people and nature. To raise consumer awareness of the partnership and the seal, Dr. Oetker is participating for the first time in the Rainforest Alliance's annual global campaign from September 26 to October 2. Under the title "Follow the Frog," the food manufacturer is joining forces with the international nonprofit organization to call on people to make conscious purchasing decisions.

Small frog, big meaning

It's no coincidence that the little frog adorns the Rainforest Alliance seal. The tree frog is considered a bioindicator and provides important information about environmental changes. Wherever it is found, the natural ecosystem is balanced and healthy. That is why the Rainforest Alliance, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, makes the call each year: "Follow TheFrog and make choices that protect and don't harm our planet." In 2021 alone, the campaign reached over 16 million people worldwide.

More and more Dr. Oetker products now bear the frog seal. And so the company is pleased to be part of a movement this year with extensive, international communication measures that is committed to positive change: Increasingly integrate sustainability into everyday life. Whether it's by changing small habits like buying products with the Frog seal or, more generally, those that contain Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa. Currently, only a few Dr. Oetker products bear the frog seal, although certified cocoa is almost exclusively purchased for most products. With the upcoming relaunches of packaging worldwide, this will be in-creased in order to provide consumers with transparent information directly on the packaging of as many products as possible.

Rainforest Alliance and Dr. Oetker - partners for greater sustainability

For example, in 2021 alone, Dr Oetker directly purchased around 8,500 tonnes of cocoa powder for cakes and desserts worldwide. There are also other quantities of raw materials containing cocoa, such as cocoa butter or nibs or those that have already been pro-cessed into drops, sauces or sprinkles - from ruby to white to bitter-sweet.” Ildikó Fegyveres, Purchasing Manager at Dr. Oetker, who is responsible for purchasing cocoa. "As diverse as the possible uses of raw materials containing cocoa are, the challenges in the cocoa sector are just as extensive: Climate change, deforestation, low in-come and poor working conditions affect both nature and workers," explains Fegyveres.

To address these challenges, the Dr. Oetker Sustainability Charter stipulates that it should come exclusively from sustainably certified cultivation - a goal that has almost been achieved. “Dr. Oetker buys almost exclusively cocoa or raw materials containing cocoa that are Rainforest Alliance Certified. A transition period of three years is granted for newly acquired companies with a view to existing supply contracts,” reports Eva Maria Flach, Senior Quality Manager Interna-tional at Dr. Oetker. "Rainforest Alliance certification also ensures compliance with internationally recognized human rights in accord-ance with applicable laws. This also includes the prohibition of child labor. In addition, most of the suppliers demonstrably have their own programs to promote sus-tainability in the cultivation and production of cocoa.

Rainforest Alliance: Cocoa that is better for people and nature

The Rainforest Alliance is committed to a better future for people and nature world-wide. Together with its part-ners, the Rainforest Alliance protects forests, improves the living conditions of agricultural and forestry producers and strengthens their human rights. It also supports farmers in their efforts to combat the climate crisis and prepare for its consequences. Find out more about the organization here: www.rainforest-alliance.org

For inquiries:

Katharina Ahnepohl

Media Spokesperson Sustainability

Hannah Strüver

Lead & Media Spokesperson Brand / Product Communication