Sustainability activities
What are SDGs?
In the fall of 2015, the United Nations adopted a global sustainability agenda. The goal of the 2030 Agenda is to create a peaceful and sustainable society. At the core of the agreement are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which list areas where sustainable development must be strengthened and embedded. These include, for example, “No poverty,” “Decent work and economic growth,” “Sustainable consumption and production,” or “Climate action.”
Of particular importance is the goal “High-quality education,” which is the basis for achieving all other goals. The aim of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is to provide information about economic, ecological and social interrelationships. This is to enable people to decide and act responsibly. ESD is an integral part of the museum’s mission statement and the basis of our educational work. In our educational offerings and exhibitions, our museum guests are informed about the working and living conditions of cocoa farmers. We explain the ecological consequences of cocoa cultivation and the still unsolved problem of exploitative child labor.
Preamble
The Chocolate Museum is and will remain one of the most important points of attraction for all Cologne residents and tourists from near and far. From this we derive our responsibility as a multiplier on the subject of sustainable development.
Within the framework of Agenda 2030, the United Nations has defined 17 goals for sustainable development. We at the Chocolate Museum feel obliged to make our contribution to achieving these goals.
Climate Neutral Museum.
With concrete measures such as the use of green electricity, biodegradable packaging, the retirement of CO2 emission rights and the support of a reforestation project in Mexico, we are even achieving that the Chocolate Museum will have a positive climate balance as early as 2020! As a certified educational institution for sustainable development, the topics of climate protection and ecosystem conservation become central content of the exhibitions and guided tours.
With the climate positive Chocolate Museum we want to set a sign. We hope that by doing so, we will motivate you and others to act more consciously and look for CO2-saving opportunities. We want to set a good example and make the topic of CO2 compensation through reforestation known and help to ensure that climate protection remains a permanent issue.
Cooperation with Plant-for-the-Planet.
The Chocolate Museum has a close partnership with the Plant-for-the-Planet association, which aims to combat the climate crisis by planting trees. We support this measure by having 33,300 trees planted each year on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. In addition, the Chocolate Museum and Plant-for-the-Planet organize all-day academies where children are trained to become ambassadors for climate justice.
Tropical Forest Foundation OroVerde
For many years now, the Chocolate Museum has been cooperating with the Tropical Forest Foundation OroVerde in Bonn. Since 2012, the Chocolate Museum has supported the foundation’s work by selling chocolate from a “historic” chocolate vending machine in the cultural history exhibition. Over 40,000.00 € has the Chocolate Museum since then provided for the work of OroVerde..
Currently, the donations benefit the project “Organic cocoa from the rainforest” of the tropical forest foundation OroVerde in Guatemala. Within the framework of planting activities with small farmers, new rainforest is created. Organic cocoa and other foodstuffs are planted in the shade of these trees. The smallholders are also trained in organic farming methods. This enables them to produce more healthy food on less land and to maintain soil fertility in the long term. The local people benefit directly from the newly created rainforest, as they can earn a small income by selling the products – and the valuable raw material for organic chocolate is created along the way. After several years of work, the time has now come: the first rainforest chocolate made from the cocoa beans of small farmers in Guatemala is now available for purchase, produced in the chocolate manufactory Georgia Ramon.
Forum Sustainable Cocoa.
Since 2012, the Chocolate Museum has been a member of the Forum Sustainable Cocoa, an association of federal ministries, companies in the confectionery industry, trade and civil society. Together, as a so-called multistakeholder initiative, they pursue the goal of improving the living conditions of cocoa farmers and their families, as well as increasing the cultivation and marketing of cocoa certified according to sustainability standards. To this end, the members of the Forum work closely with the governments of the cocoa-producing countries.
A key objective of the Forum is to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers and their families and to secure their livelihoods. By participating in the Forum’s working groups, the Chocolate Museum takes part in the ongoing discussion. In addition, we support the Forum’s educational work by providing expert advice and organizing educational events, such as at the Green Week in Berlin.
