CUSTOMER STORY
Valrhona x Tilkal
Plot-to-factory cocoa traceability, for EUDR compliance and ESG reporting
(Last update 11/03/2026)
Background
Valrhona is a French premium chocolate maker, sourcing cocoa from producers and cooperatives around the world. Its commitment to a fair and sustainable cocoa sector rests on long-term partnerships with producers and on programmes that support local communities.
Two pressures made fine-grained traceability essential. The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR (UE) 2023/1115) requires companies placing cocoa on the EU market to prove that it does not come from deforested land - down to the plot where it was grown. And Valrhona's ESG commitments, including the premiums paid to producers, needed verifiable data rather than declarations.
The difficulty lies upstream. Cocoa supply chains combine highly digitalised actors with producer associations of very low digital maturity. Fresh cocoa is often fermented and dried in batches mixing several producers' beans. Perfect, end-to-end data does not exist on day one - the solution had to work with real-world data and make it reliable.
Scope of the traceability initiative
Objective. Trace cocoa beans from the plot where they are grown to their entry at the Valrhona factory, gain a precise understanding of the upstream supply chain, and use this traceability to support EUDR requirements, ESG reporting and payments to producers.
Tilkal capabilities used. Tier-N Data Collection, Product Traceability, Risk Assessment to feed the EUDR Compliance and Responsible Sourcing solutions.
Perimeter. 22 cocoa origins (2026), covering both mature and less mature segments of the supply chain - from producer associations just starting to digitalise to large cooperative unions already running their own traceability systems.
Data collection tooling, adapted to each actor's maturity.
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Field mobile app for on-the-ground data capture
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Digital forms in dedicated Supplier platforms
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Interoperability with the existing traceability systems of the most mature actors, rather than imposing a single workflow
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Plot geolocation and satellite imagery, through a specialised technology partner
Beyond the cocoa flow: financial traceability. The platform also captures what producers receive - premiums paid, and bonuses funding cooperative and community projects - mirroring the physical traceability of cocoa with the traceability of payments.
Partners. PwC supported the local anchoring of the project, helping onboard producers and cooperatives in the field.
Key success factors
One approach per maturity level
Low-maturity segments are onboarded with the field mobile app and digital forms; high-maturity segments are connected through interoperability with the systems they already run.
Local anchoring
Forced labor, child labor, working conditions and other The collaboration between Tilkal and PwC on the ground was key to a fast and effective roll-out. Onboarding takes about two months per country. risks.
A give-and-take for producers
Traceability is not only a request made to producers: it serves them. By linking cocoa traceability to the traceability of premium payments, Valrhona can verify quality and compliance faster and pay premiums sooner.
Continuous change management
Onboarded actors receive ongoing support, so that data quality improves season after season rather than degrading after launch.
Key outcomes
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22 cocoa origins across 12 countries covered by the platform (2026).
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Over 31,000 producers declared in the platform.
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About 2 months of onboarding per country.
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Premium payment delays halved: premiums, conditional on quality and compliance verification, reach producers in half the time, contributing to better living conditions.
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Plot-level traceability to the factory gate, providing the foundation for EUDR due diligence and verifiable ESG reporting.
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