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.