ISO 34101-2:2019

Overview

ISO 34101-2:2019 - Sustainable and traceable cocoa - Part 2: Requirements for performance (economic, social and environmental aspects) - defines the performance criteria for sustainably produced cocoa beans. It applies to on-farm production and applicable post-harvest processes (pod‑breaking, fermentation, drying, sorting, packing, transport and storage). Organizations must meet both the cocoa sustainability management system requirements (ISO 34101‑1 or ISO 34101‑4, Annex A/B) and the performance requirements in ISO 34101‑2 to claim their cocoa is sustainably produced.

Key topics and technical requirements

ISO 34101‑2 groups performance requirements across three pillars - economic, social and environmental - and defines three progressive requirement levels: entry, medium and high.

• Economic aspects
  • Cocoa Farm Diagnostic and Cocoa Farm Development Plan (CFDP) to guide farm improvement.
  • Capacity building (accounting, access to finance/credit).
  • Farm agronomic performance and good agricultural practices: planting material, soil management, tree maintenance, harvest practices.
  • Post‑harvest performance: pod‑breaking, fermentation, drying, packing and storage of beans.
  • Resilience and diversification measures.
• Social aspects
  • Human rights policy, gender equality and women’s empowerment.
  • Children’s rights, prevention of child labour and worst forms of child labour.
  • Employment and contractual relations, working hours and conditions.
  • Freedom of association, occupational health & safety, prevention of discrimination and social protection/basic needs.
• Environmental aspects
  • Protection of freshwater bodies, integrated pest and disease management.
  • Safe storage and administration of agrochemicals.
  • Ecosystem protection (including buffer zones) and waste management.

The standard specifies performance-driven objectives and capacity-enhancement objectives at farm and organization level. A staged approach allows organizations to progress from entry → medium → high (transitions can take up to 60 months per step).

Practical applications and who uses it

ISO 34101‑2 is used by:

• Cocoa farmers, cooperatives and plantation managers for on-farm sustainability planning (CFDP) and post‑harvest best practices.
• Processors, traders and exporters to align procurement with sustainable performance requirements.
• Certification scheme owners and certification bodies to assess claims of sustainably produced cocoa.
• Brands, retailers and supply‑chain actors seeking verified sustainability and traceability.
• Governments, NGOs and development agencies designing capacity‑building or finance programs for cocoa communities.

Common uses:

• Preparing for third‑party certification under the ISO 34101 series.
• Designing farm-level improvement plans and interventions (training, finance, agronomy).
• Supporting sustainability claims and supply‑chain transparency.

Related standards

• ISO 34101-1 - requirements for cocoa sustainability management systems (high level).
• ISO 34101-3 - requirements for traceability of sustainably produced cocoa.
• ISO 34101-4 - requirements for certification schemes (entry and medium management system levels).

Keywords: ISO 34101-2, sustainable cocoa, traceable cocoa, performance requirements, cocoa sustainability, post-harvest, CFDP, social and environmental requirements, certification.