Nutriswiss, Coop and HALBA launch fair-trade organic coconut oil supply chain in Côte d’Ivoire
A Swiss consortium comprising Nutriswiss, Coop, HALBA, Pro Fair Trade AG (PFT), the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and agroforestry consultancy Ecotop has announced the first commercial shipments of dual-certified organic coconut oil from a smallholder agroforestry project in Côte d’Ivoire. The initiative, which began in 2021, has now achieved Fairtrade, EU Organic and Bio Suisse certification, with the refined oil destined for use in HALBA’s chocolate product range.
Agroforestry replaces monoculture
The project is built around dynamic agroforestry principles, in which local smallholder farmers tend existing coconut palms alongside newly planted stock. Mixed cultivation incorporating banana, mango and cacao plants is used to improve soil fertility and support biodiversity. According to Romina Suter, Sustainability Project Manager at HALBA, this model marks a significant departure from conventional practice: “Farmers growing coconut palms in mixed cultivation – as opposed to monoculture – is a first.”
More than 200 farmers belonging to the Ivorian cooperative benefit from
fixed purchase volumes and a Fairtrade minimum price set above current market rates, providing financial predictability for smallholders. A Fairtrade premium additionally enables the cooperative to fund community development projects.
Supply chain traceability and quality assurance
Full traceability is achieved through an innovative tracking tool that follows the oil across the entire value chain, from farm to finished product. The oil is pressed in-country, filled into sealed containers and shipped directly, preserving quality throughout transit. Coconut oil is valued in food manufacturing for its favourable melting characteristics, but Pierre Nording, Head of Procurement at Nutriswiss, notes that sourcing has historically presented challenges: “There are major quality differences on the world market, and there is often uncertainty about growing conditions. However, thanks to the close collaboration of all parties in the supply chain, we now have complete clarity here.”
Strict procurement criteria
Coconut and its derivatives are classified as a critical raw material at Coop, triggering stringent sourcing requirements. Aline Roth, Sustainability Project Manager at Coop, explains: “The raw material must preferably be Fairtrade-certified or dual-certified, as well as organic, in order to mitigate the ecological and social risks of cultivation.”
Nutriswiss, the Swiss market leader in specialty and organic edible fat refinement, processed the oil before supply to HALBA, which forms part of the Coop Group.
