Jumbo's private label range to achieve living income by 2029

Jumbo Supermarkets has announced a significant acceleration of its sustainability goals, pledging that its entire private label cocoa range will be sourced under Living Income programmes by the end of 2029 – a year ahead of the target set by the Dutch Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (DISCO).

The commitment underscores the retailer’s focus on ensuring that cocoa farmers can earn a Living Income Reference Price (LIRP), a core component of its new sourcing strategy. Jumbo, a signatory of DISCO since 2021, previously launched the Tony's Open Chain sourcing model to begin implementing these critical agreements.

The Living Income Reference Price (LIRP)  is a calculated farmgate price that allows a typical cocoa farming household, with a viable farm size and sustainable productivity, to afford a decent standard of living, covering essentials like food, housing, and education. By paying this LIRP through programmes like Tony's Open Chain, Jumbo directly addresses structural poverty.

Marjolein Verkerk, head of corporate social responsibility at Jumbo, stated, “We believe it's crucial that farmers and growers, both local and further afield, earn a living. Our commitment to DISCO requires a thorough plan. We developed it in close consultation with Oxfam Novib... The plan gives us the stability and confidence to actually achieve our ambition, even a year ahead of schedule.”

Jumbo has already begun sourcing products like Christmas wreaths and chocolate letters through Tony's Open Chain, a model that is also recognised for its effectiveness in combating illegal child labour and deforestation.

The conversion of the private label range is set to proceed rapidly:

• End of 2027: 50% of the private label cocoa products will be purchased under Living Income programmes.
• End of 2029: 100% of the private label cocoa assortment – spanning from bars and sprinkles to cookies and breakfast cereals – will be fully transitioned to these programmes.

Jumbo is actively in discussions with several partners to implement this wider commitment across all its own-brand products containing cocoa.

Verkerk noted that achieving this requires an additional financial investment from Jumbo. To balance this with maintaining affordable groceries for customers, the company will increase the share of responsibly sourced cocoa annually, demonstrating a commitment that prioritises people, animals, and nature in its supply chain.

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