Our responsibility care attention towards

The Supply Chain

Our method

Our chocolate is born far away, in lands where cocoa is grown. In the ‘70s we visited these distant places to get to know the local people and their skills, to touch the cocoa beans themselves and taste the fruit. Since then, we have never stopped nurturing both the relationships and the land, so that over the years it has become a philosophy in its own right: “producing high-quality chocolate by monitoring the entire supply chain, from the plantation to the finished product”. By selecting the best plantations and increasing their qualitative yield, we obtain a fully controlled and traceable product of outstanding quality.

The guideline for our work: our code of ethics

To establish stable, long-lasting relationships with direct farmers and with local communities we rely on our precise Code of Ethics, which lays out the guiding values we respect and follow in nurturing relationships with all operators in the supply chain.

This is why we verify and continuously monitor all available information, aiming to verify the respectability and legitimacy of activities in our commercial relationships.
The pursuit of maximum value, benefiting both parties, guides our purchasing processes and our pre- and post-contractual conduct, founded upon an essential and mutual loyalty, equal opportunities, and collaboration with each supplier.

We asked all suppliers involved in the chain— not just our cocoa suppliers—to adhere to our Code of Ethics.
In fact, 81% of our suppliers of raw material (including cocoa) have formally signed the document (31 December 2020).
In the coming months, we aim to reach all suppliers, and are considering using only those suppliers who have signed it, as a demonstration of our responsibility to protect human rights.

Traceability and transparency

The “Chain ESG Risk Assessment” project

Our commitment to the production and supply of an ethical chocolate is founded on a desire to know the history of all the ingredients used, from cultivation and growth to the final product. Our Supply Chain ESG Risk Assessment project is aimed at increasing knowledge of the structure and risks in ESG (environmental, social, and governance) terms, as relates to the supply chain of the three key raw materials purchased: milk, sugar and cocoa. To guarantee full traceability and transparency, the project is structured in four phases, with each step being a prerequisite for the next:

Preliminary mapping of the supply chain

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk assessment

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) analysis of suppliers

Regular on-site inspections and quality control

Actions speak louder than words

Our long-standing collaborations are based on precise values. Respect, the development of relationships with all parties in the supply chain, sustainability, fairness, and transparency are the guiding principles of everything we do.

The cooperatives we work with in the cocoa-growing areas are more than just suppliers: they are our partners. We play equal rolesbecause only together can we tackle changing market conditions and continue to adapt.

Our projects in the countries of origin⚬

Our projects in the countries of origin⚬

Our projects in the countries of origin⚬

Our projects in the countries of origin⚬

Our projects in the countries of origin⚬

ICAM Chocolate Uganda Ltd, located in the heart of the Bundibugyo region, is set up to carry out a major development project producing certified organic high-grown cocoa.

Discover the project ›

For several years now, we’ve carried out projects in Peru, a land where the most ancient and sought-after cocoa varieties grow. These projects focus on the selection and cultivation of first-rate raw material which we use to make Bagua and Pachiza, superior quality chocolates with authentic flavor.

Discover the project ›

Since the ‘80s we have worked with the Conacado Cooperative, introducing a stringent system for the selection, fermentation and quality of the cocoa.

Discover the project ›

To each place, its own flavor

<h3>Where does our cocoa comes from</h3>
We travel the world, visiting every location where it is possible to buy cocoa ethically, in order to offer you chocolate in a full range of flavors, shades and aromas.
Central America

Mexico

In the heart of the “New World”, ICAM identified a cocoa with enormous genetic potential and excellent aromatic quality, a discovery which has been fully developed thanks to the careful management of the harvest and fermentation.

In just 4 years, this relatively new project has transformed a domestically consumed traditional cocoa into a product valued on the international market, leveraging collaborations with institutions and NGOs such as the “Sembrando Vida” federal program and NGO Conservation International.

Agroforestry training plays a critical role in their management of the cocoa plantations in relation to the forests: fertilization, parasite and disease control, pruning and shade management, and reforestation. With a direct supply chain, ICAM fully recognizes the true value of the work of agroforestry producers.

Africa

Madagascar

A land as special as its cocoa, considered to be one of the best varieties in the world, famous for its rarity and its unique origin on small plantations.
South America

Guatemala

In the birthplace of chocolate, in the heart of the natural forests of the Alta Verapaz region, the stunning plantation of Finca Chimelb produces a Trinitario blend which is superior, intense, and persistent.
South America

Ecuador

“Sabor Arriba”, from the fourth biggest cocoa-producing country in the world, is known for its fine quality and its particularly aromatic flavor profile.
Central America

Dominican Republic

“Hispaniola” cocoa comes from some of the most exclusive plantations in the province of Duarte. Its quality has improved so much that it has been recognized as “Fine of Flavor” by the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) and awarded organic certification.

Look at the project ›

Africa

Uganda

The Bundibugyo region is home to an excellent high-grown cocoa, intense yet versatile. It is the result of our commitment to a project which allowed us to increase the profitability of the plantations and maximize harvests.

Look at the project ›

South America

Perù

The birthplace of two ancient and highly prized cocoa varieties: Bagua and Pachiza. These special cocoa varieties, delightful and exciting to the palate, produce superior quality chocolate with an authentic flavor.

Look at the project

South America

Venezuela

The tropical region to the south of Lake Maracaibo is a unique ecosystem of lush forests. It is also the home of the finest, most ancestral cocoa, with a complex, persistent flavor profile.
Africa

Sao Tome

Lying 300 kilometers off the west coast of Central Africa, the remote, verdant island of São Tomé, offers one of the region’s most highly prized cocoas, with fragrant, aromatic fruit.

Organic chocolate

80%
of the total cocoa purchased is organic or Fairtrade

We have believed in it ever since 1997. We are the leading Italian producer of organic chocolate. Because good chocolate should also be good for the people and the land that produce it.

What is meant by biological approach? The prerequisite for the sustainability and fertility of the soil. The organic approach understands the product with respect to nature and the environment, including the energy, water, and air required for the product’s growth and transformation.
Chemical and microbiological treatments are replaced by skilled observation of natural rhythms and methods for each stage of the process. From farming to preparation, from storage to packaging.

Using farmland on which no chemical substances have been used for a considerable number of years

Traceability and functionality of production

Strict physical separation of organic and non-organic ingredients

Regular on-site inspections and quality control

While we know we are following best practices for organic products,
we go one further: certification is the proof of our commitment

Find out more about organic certification ›
100%
management of the entire supply chain

The value chain

The pursuit of excellence, the hallmark of our entire production chain, has no limits. It begins with the careful selection of the best of each origin of the raw material, cocoa, through expertise and agronomic techniques, developed thanks to decades of experience. Next come the first crucial processes carried out where the cocoa is harvested, before it arrives at our cutting-edge facility in Orsenigo, where cocoa is skillfully transformed into our Chocolate from nature, with nature.

From seed to bar ›

Our cornerstones

People

The value of people ›

Environment

For sustainable development ›

Innovation

The highest quality standards ›