One in four cocoa farm audits contain data manipulated to meet sustainability targets, researchers find

ETH researchers have used a sustainability program for cocoa cultivation in Côte d'Ivoire to demonstrate that, in one in four cases, data was manipulated to meet the program's requirements. If the auditor were aware of the required target values, data manipulation increased significantly. Where these values were unknown, the frequency of fraudulent alterations halved. The findings provide important insights for companies, public authorities and certification bodies to ensure sustainable supply chains and the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation.