Our Commitment to Responsibly Sourced Cocoa

At M&S, we are committed to sourcing our cocoa responsibly and to supporting cocoa producers and their communities. Discover our cocoa story to make your favourite M&S chocolate taste that little bit sweeter.

Assistant Copywriter

Florence Head

A spotlight on M&S Cocoa

Cocoa is a very important ingredient for M&S. We use about 7,500 tonnes of cocoa each year to make over 1,000 products. The cocoa industry faces significant challenges, including the unequal pay of cocoa farmers, which hinders their ability to reinvest in their farms to maintain soil fertility and produce high-quality cocoa pods. Therefore, M&S has been committed since 2016 to ensuring all the cocoa used in our own-brand products is sourced through trusted partner schemes and certifications, to help secure our access to this vital ingredient in years to come as well as improving the lives of growers. 

Our sustainability approach Discover M&S chocolate

In 2024, we went even further and updated our Cocoa Standard to stipulate that our suppliers can only use Independently Certified Cocoa through Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance. These independent certification schemes enhance the lives of farmers and their communities, promote human rights and support farmers to adapt to climate change and build their climate resilience. All our block chocolate uses 100% Fairtrade cocoa, as well as other ranges including Belgian and Swiss, and our iconic Colin the Caterpillar cakes range, and we are continuing to work with our suppliers to bring out even more Fairtrade cocoa products in the year ahead.

When you see our quality seal, you can be confident that you've chosen a product that supports communities, is exceptionally delicious, and of the highest quality.

Our Cocoa approach

M&S Partnership with Fairtrade & Yeyasso Cooperative

In January 2025, M&S became the first retailer to launch Fairtrade's ‘Mass Balance Plus’ traceability pilot for our Choc Marks and Swiss range, in partnership with our supplier. For these bars, 100% of the Fairtrade Premium and cocoa bean volume equivalents will be purchased from Yeyasso cooperative, which will be audited independently to ensure M&S funds reach the cooperative.

Yeyasso cooperative was founded in August 2006 in Man, Cote d’Ivoire, and is made up of 5009 cocoa farmers. They are using Fairtrade Premium for a variety of projects, ranging from the installation of local maternity wards and building teacher housing to supporting farmers with organic fertilisers, good agricultural practice training and crop diversification projects.

“We thank M&S for this great initiative that will allow us to make further investments… For us, it will be a question of offering maternity wards in localities where there are not yet any, increasing cash to producers or fighting against child labour by facilitating children’s schooling.” Yeo Moussa, Director General at Yeyasso

“With the support of M&S I will be able to enrol my children in school, have the means to pay people to help me clean my farm and provide for the food needs of my home." Anne Marie Diomande, Poyayeye Women’s Association

This image is of Diomande Anne-Marie, cocoa farmer and member of the Poyayeye Women’s Association, Yeyasso, by the Fairtrade Foundation.

Find out about Fairtrade

Driving meaningful change

We recognise that driving meaningful change in the cocoa industry requires cross-sector collaboration. To tackle the industry's structural challenges, including child labour and deforestation, we are committed to working in partnership with others. We are proud to be the only UK retail member of the International Cocoa Initiative. Through our membership, we support funding ICI’s work to develop and test new approaches to tackle child labour and forced labour in cocoa and to support the adoption of good practices across the cocoa sector.

This image is of Amani Adèle Yao, and taken by Mohamed Aly Diabaté in Côte d'Ivoire.

Additionally, we were the first UK retailer to fund the Fairtrade Child Labour Prevention and Remediation programme. Through this programme, cocoa cooperatives across Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire apply for funds to support projects which improve access to education, such as the construction of classrooms or school renovations.

In 2024, At SOCAMEA in Cote d’Ivoire, the cooperative identified 125 children who lived too far away from school to comfortably walk the distance which was impacting attendance rates. The funding from the programme supported the purchase of bicycles and helmets for 125 children, and bicycle sheds are being built to safely store the bicycles.  

  “My child has to walk 6km to school and is often late. He comes back every lunchtime and because of fatigue, he often refuses to go back to school. Now my child can get to school easily, he wants to go to school.” 

Decadent chocolate baking ideas

Our quality, responsibly sourced chocolate will take your treats to the next level. From Percy Pig chocolate bark to this easy-peasy Colin the Caterpillar fridge cake, our chocolate recipes will keep everyone sweet. If you’re looking for the perfect gift, our vegan coconut chocolate truffles are a melt-in-the-mouth indulgence. Who wouldn’t love to unwrap these?

Craving a chocolatey bake? Try our nutty double chocolate brownies (made in an air fryer) or the ultimate, gooey chocolate fudge cake. Or why not try your hand at double chocolate sesame cookies, finished with a sprinkle of sea salt, or a luxurious flourless chocolate cake topped with fresh fruit compote and crème fraîche?

When start with the very best M&S chocolate, you're already part of the way there to creating something seriously delicious.

Read the recipes

Published 1.30.2025