(10)Updated on June 19, 2019
In any detailed conversation about sustainable sourcing of cocoa, it won’t be long before someone uses the term ‘mass balance’. But what is mass balance, exactly? Maybe you have a rough idea but you’d struggle to explain it to someone else. Or maybe you’ve never even heard of it. Either way, here are five things you need to know.
1. Mass balance is a system for sourcing sustainable ingredients
Many chocolate companies source their cocoa using a system called ‘mass balance’. This means that if they buy half of their cocoa as UTZ certified, they can put the UTZ (or Rainforest Alliance) label on half of their end products – even though these might not physically contain the certified cocoa. This video explains with an example (also available in other languages ):
2. This system is used because the cocoa supply chain is complex
Cocoa is shipped and processed in large quantities, which means it is usually very costly to keep certified cocoa separate from non-certified cocoa.
Through the use of our sophisticated traceability systems you can be sure the certified cocoa that enters the supply chain does come from certified farms, even though it gets mixed with non-certified cocoa later on.
3. Where the cocoa ends up doesn’t make any difference to the farmer
For farmers, what’s important is that they sold their cocoa as certified. It doesn’t matter to them whether the cocoa ends up in one chocolate bar or another. What matters is that being part of the certification program brings higher productivity, bigger incomes and better living conditions.
4. Mass balance means more farmers can benefit from certification
Mass balance makes it more feasible for companies to source sustainable ingredients. If all companies had to keep their certified cocoa separate from their non-certified cocoa, often they would decide that it was too challenging, and make the decision not to purchase any certified cocoa at all.
Mass balance encourages companies to make the transition towards buying sustainable cocoa, which in turn means more farmers see the benefits.
5. Mass balance is a great way to scale up sustainability
Mass balance is also used for many other products, including sugar, palm oil, and fruit juice, and in all of these sectors it has really helped with scaling up the market for sustainability.
That’s definitely been the case in our cocoa program. The UTZ program was launched in 2009, and is now the biggest program in the world for sustainable cocoa. In fact, more than 800.000 cocoa farmers and workers are now (2018) in the UTZ program. We want to make sustainability the norm, and mass balance has an important role to play in helping us reach that goal.
Looking for more?
For the basics of mass balance, ready-to-use communication materials and guidance on how to make credible claims, we have great content and tools to help you understand and explain mass balance. Check our mass balance member pack.
Want to source sustainable cocoa? Join us! In January 2018, UTZ merged with the Rainforest Alliance. Read all about it here.
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bien compris. seul difficulté les cours n’ont pas de version francaise
Bonjour Erve, Merci pour votre intérêt. Nous avons une vidéo en français qui explique le concept Bilan Massique. Voir la vidéo ici : http://bit.ly/2sEOTk2
Thanks. Thecourse is explicit.
Please talk about this from a Cocoa buying exporters perspective
Hi Graham, thanks for your message. Maybe this article is more what you’re looking for: https://utz.org/better-business-hub/sourcing-sustainable-products/heard-utz-mass-balance-system-changing-will-effect-cost-certified-cocoa/
It answers the question: I heard the UTZ mass balance system is changing. Will this have an effect on the cost of certified cocoa?
Hope this helps.
^Marlene from UTZ
Based on Mass balance system, if UTZ certified end product does not necessarily have UTZ certified cocoa (because of the mix with non-UTZ certified cocoa), in what form is it accepted by buyers? Certified or non-certified?
Hi Biwas, thanks for your question. If you take a look at the back of a product, you will see that it says “by buying UTZ certified cocoa, we support sustainable cocoa farming.” You can be sure that we have bought enough UTZ certified cocoa to cover the cocoa content of the product, and that the farmers have received all the benefits of UTZ certification. I hope this answers your question. ^Inge from UTZ
Excellent summary on the “least you need to know” about Mass Balance. Well done
Thank you Kevin!
Je vois maintenant les notions de bilan massique et de séparation. La vidéo m’a vraiment permis de les comprendre. Merci!
Hi UTZ Team – If where the cocoa end up does not matter to certified farmers, then can cocoa certified in Ivory Coast be mass balance with non-certified beans in Ecuador ? Is mass balance allowed between different countries ?
Hi Daniel, in terms of impact on the farmer it doesn’t matter in which end product the certified cocoa ends up. What matters is that the UTZ certified farmer sold his cocoa as certified to his buyer and got a good price including premium for it. It is indeed possible that – depending on the supply chain – certified cocoa from Cote d’ Ivoire and non-certified cocoa from Ecuador are mixed and end up in a chocolate bar together. However the brand owner can only label this chocolate bar with the UTZ logo when he purchased the exact amount of UTZ certified cocoa necessary to produce that bar – so even though the UTZ certified cocoa might not have ended up in that specific bar but in other products.
^Inge from UTZ
As a consumer, it seems like a lie to not be consuming a 100% bona fied certified cocoa product and has the UTZ logo on the package. (?)
Please, Leigh, remember that it is about improving the farmer’s lives, not the consumer’s lives. Everytime you buy a certified chocolate you are paying for a premium transfered to the certified farmer and that is the real thing that matters. Whether you eat that certified cocoa bean is the least relevant in all that. We should be thankful that we at least have the option to buy a certified product.
Define ‘sustainable’
Is Certification sustainable?
If certified becomes the ‘norm’ then will it still command a premium price?
I’ve been unable to find out from your website whether mass balance is the only system you use for cocoa, or whether you also certify cocoa with full traceability.
Dear Rob,
under the UTZ certification program cocoa can also be certified with the traceability levels Segregration and Identity Preserved. For more information please contact our Customer Success team via membersupport@utz.org.
^Inge from the Rainforest Alliance
Cours bien reçu et perçu, la version française serait une bonne affaire..