Quality has always been at the heart of everything Ferrero does.
What originally started as a small family-run business in the quaint town of Alba, Northern Italy, quickly became one of the world’s largest and most well-known sweet-packaged food companies. With products being sold in over 170 countries, the iconic taste of hazelnuts and chocolate is truly adored worldwide.
Since its founding in 1946, Ferrero has implemented innovative procedures for checking the quality of its raw materials in every step of their journey. This process is known as ‘Sacco Conosciuto’ or ‘knowing what’s in the bag’, and it embodies Ferrero’s commitment to knowing every single detail about its ingredients. Although the process has evolved over time, it remains an integral and core part of the company’s business practices today.
Over time as the company began to grow, it was necessary for Ferrero to expand its sources to accommodate product demand. This meant working in very different environments with complex and systemic issues. But with a major focus on quality, sustainability, and responsible sourcing, throughout the value chain, Ferrero has maintained its values throughout the years, ensuring consistency and transparency in its practices.
However, there are challenges in both hazelnut and cocoa supply chains, with broader, industry-wide issues that need to be addressed collaboratively.
Ferrero’s main aim is to ensure the availability of high-quality hazelnuts, by supporting the development of sustainable hazelnut cultivation globally. To do so, a division was established in 2015, the Ferrero Hazelnut Company (HCo), which is entirely dedicated in activities ranging from agribusiness development with a focus on environmental protection, responsible sourcing, processing, and supply operations to business-to-business activities.
Ferrero is equally devoted to the well-being and sustainability of its cocoa farmers and farms, aiming to improve livelihoods through a mix of proactive initiatives. In West Africa in particular, many challenges are faced in the cocoa supply chain, with several farmers and their families living in poverty - one of the root causes of other systemic issues, including child labor and deforestation.
Ferrero’s goal is to contribute to support farmers in making cocoa farming a profitable and long-term sustainable business. Furthermore, by offering agricultural education to farmers, Ferrero is contributing towards the protection of the environment, and accelerating a transition to sustainable livelihoods, which is essential for farmers’ economic security, as well as a healthy planet.
When working towards finding a viable solution for systemic issues, partnerships are crucial. Specifically, it is Ferrero’s commitment to collaborate and work with partners to ensure standards are met, farmers are supported, and the environment is protected.
As an example, in Côte d’Ivoire, Ferrero works closely with its NGO partner Save the Children.
“Save the Children exists to help every child get the future they deserve. That’s why as well as providing lifesaving, short-term help and together with children we push for and create deep-rooted change that lasts a lifetime” said N'da Jaurès Kouassi, Project Manager Save the Children.
“We’re doing this now in the cocoa-growing areas in Côte d’Ivoire where we are working since 2017, in partnership with Ferrero, to deliver a holistic and sustainable response to tackle child labor in those areas.Education is a right and children who have access to education have a universe of opportunities and in return they can contribute to a better future for themselves and their community of origin.”