Known best for its soaps made with attention to the environmental and social impacts of production, Dr. Bronner’s has launched a line of vegan, organic chocolate bars. 
 
Per an article in vegnews.com, criteria relating to ethical sourcing in the supply chain are at the core of Dr. Bronner’s chocolate bars as well—in fact, the cocoa (on track to be Regenerative Organic Certified by 2022) is sourced from the same farmers in eastern Ghana who supply the organic and fair-trade palm oil Dr. Bronner’s uses for its soaps. According to the article:
 
“The idea behind the chocolate line first emerged when the company learned that the 800 farmers in eastern Ghana who supply the organic and fair-trade palm oil Dr. Bronner’s uses for its soaps also grow cocoa. The company worked with the farmers to grow the ingredients for its Magic All-One Chocolate line and is continuing to work with them to improve the health and productivity of existing palm and cocoa trees through dynamic agroforestry—a practice that integrates complementary trees and other crops to create a self-supporting environment where toxic chemicals such as pesticides are unnecessary.”
 
Dr. Bronner’s values-based approach to innovation is rooted in their strength in ethical sourcing and production, a practice that is likely to continue to set them apart from other brands in consumers’ minds since they are increasingly including sustainability criteria in their purchase considerations.
 
On this topic, our most recent sustainability report, Sustainability: Beyond Business as Usual, found that 36% of consumers said they select foods and beverages at least occasionally based on their perceptions of sustainability, social issues, or labor practices (related to their choice) and 19% said they do this most of the time or always. 
 
The report also found that Millennials place a greater emphasis on purchasing in terms of perceived impacts on society and show higher awareness of and interest in sustainability issues and claims—thus they appear more likely to follow through on their values when it comes to actual purchasing.
 
While there is potential difficulty establishing a consumer base in a totally new consumer products category—moving from soap to chocolate—Dr. Bronner’s mission-driven focus and loyal following likely enable consumers to see this jump based on sourcing connections as a logical one.
 
Curious about the role of brand and sustainability in consumers’ lives? We are currently investigating the relevance and popularity of both national and private label brands in our Brand Ambition study. 
 
Information relating to consumer perceptions of sustainable practices used in agriculture and food and beverage sourcing and production will be included in a forthcoming update of our long-running Sustainability reports: Sustainability 2021. 
 
Further Reading and Listening: