Chocolats Halba facts for kids

Chocolats Halba is a company in Switzerland that makes delicious chocolate. They are based in Pratteln, near Basel. You can visit their special chocolate shops, called Schoggihüsli, in Pratteln and Hinwil.

Chocolats Halba is part of a bigger company called Coop. Every year, they turn about 20,000 tons of chocolate into yummy bars, small chocolates (pralines), and even Easter bunnies! About 40% of their chocolate goes to Coop stores. The rest is sold to other customers all over the world, including countries like Germany, the USA, and China. They also make chocolate for other brands, such as "Die Gute Schokolade" (The Good Chocolate) which helps the environment.

In 2022, Chocolats Halba sold chocolate worth 285 million Swiss Francs. A cool fact: 90% of their sales come from chocolate that has special labels showing it's made in a sustainable way. This means 73% of their products have labels like Fairtrade Max Havelaar, Bio Suisse, USDA Organic, and UTZ. These labels show that the chocolate is made in a way that is good for people and the planet.

How Did Chocolats Halba Start?

The company began on May 5, 1933, in Zurich, Switzerland. It was started by two people, Willy Hallheimer and Werner Baer. They called their company Halba AG. They started making chocolate with just four employees in Baer's apartment!

In 1955, the company moved to a new place in Wallisellen. Chocolats Halba has been making chocolate for Coop since 1960. Over the years, they grew bigger by taking over other chocolate makers. In 1968, Coop bought a part of Halba, and by 1972, Coop owned Halba completely.

In 2003, the company changed its name to Chocolats Halba. Since 2004, it has been a special division of Coop, not a separate company.

Moving to a New Home

In 2017, Chocolats Halba moved into a brand new, modern factory in Pratteln. This new factory can make 15,000 tons of chocolate every year! Because of this big move, they closed their older factories in Wallisellen and Hinwil. The Hinwil location is now used as a warehouse and sales point by another company.

What Makes Chocolats Halba Special?

Chocolats Halba is known for its focus on fair trade and sustainability.

Fair Trade Chocolate

Since 2014, Chocolats Halba has only bought Fair trade-certified cocoa beans. This means they make sure the farmers who grow the cocoa beans get a fair price for their crops. This helps farmers and their families live better lives.

Chocolats Halba also has a branch in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, called Chocolats Halba S.A. de C.V.. Coop owns 75% of this branch. This helps them work closely with cocoa farmers in developing countries.

Awards for Good Work

Chocolats Halba has won awards for being a responsible company.

• In April 2017, they received a top ranking for the good environmental and social quality of their chocolate bunnies.
• On April 28, 2018, Chocolats Halba won the Swiss Ethics Award. This award was for their "Sustainable Chocolate from Ecuador" project. This project helps farmers in Ecuador improve their living standards, protect nature (biodiversity), and encourages young farmers.

Working Together for a Better World

Chocolats Halba works with other groups to make a positive impact.

• They work with Fairtrade Africa to help stop forests from being cut down in West Africa. This project helps 2,500 farmers change their farms to grow different crops, not just cocoa. This is better for the environment.
• They also team up with a children's and youth group called Plant-for-the-Planet. Together, they make "good chocolate." Chocolats Halba doesn't make any profit from this chocolate. Instead, all the money goes to projects that plant trees in Mexico.

See also

• Swiss chocolate