The ethical chocolate company, Tony’s Chocolonely is embracing the chance for some major expansion across the US market thanks to some notable new investment from the former Starbucks ceo and a new development with the North American retail giant, Walmart.

Described as an ‘impact brand’ on a mission to end exploitation in the cocoa supply chain, Tony’s Chocolonely has recorded key revenue growth in the market over the course of the last two years while its presence in the US has quadrupled in the last four.

Now, with new investment from the former Starbucks chief executive, Howard Schultz and a new partnership with Walmart, the chocolate brand is eyeing some major expansion in the territory.

Over the next year, Tony’s Chocolonely will be available in 20% more stores than the year prior as it adds Walmart to a growing portfolio of US retailers which already includes names like Whole Foods, Target, Safeway, and CVS.

A purpose driven confectionary brand established solely to wipe out exploitation from the global cocoa supply chain, Tony’s Chocolonely commits to paying a living income for all its cocoa and acts to tackle child labour and deforestation issues with full transparency. Its US expansion benefitted more than 18,000 small holder farming families last year. 

“We are incredibly proud of the strides we’ve made in the US market,” said Douglas Lamont, ceo of Tony’s Chocolonely. “Our expanded retail presence, coupled with strategic investments in production and our exciting new investment partnerships, are all part of our larger ambition to end exploitation in the cocoa industry.”

There are still 1.6 million cases of child labour and widespread deforestation present in the chocolate industry in Ghana and Ivory Coast. When it comes to highlighting and addressing the root cause of the industry’s ongoing exploitation of people and the planet Tony’s Chocolonely points the finger expressly at poverty. It is Tony’s Chocolonely’s mission to show the world that chocolate can be made differently by ensuring all workers in the supply chain are paid above the living the wage.