Breaking the Cocoa Mold with Belinda Borck from Tony's Chocolonely

In this episode, host Neil Callanan is joined by Belinda Borck, the Global External Affairs and Reporting Lead at Tony's Chocolonely and Tony's Open Chain. Belinda shares the brand's 2005 origin story, when a Dutch journalist sued himself to expose child labor and tracking failures in the chocolate industry. Moving from a "lonely fight" to an industry-wide collaborative engine, she explains how they open-source their ethical framework, helping over 22 corporate allies eliminate exploitation across the cocoa sector.Neil and Belinda dive into the mechanics of turning dry supply chain KPIs into relatable human stories. Belinda also breaks down their five core sourcing principles, opening up about the real value of traceability, sticking to five-year commitments, and embracing radical transparency even when it brings tough headlines. It’s a candid look at how a profit-driven business can scale industry-wide change, shake up old market practices, and actually move the needle on global sustainability legislation.Links & Resources Tony's Open Chain: https://www.tonysopenchain.com Tony's Chocolonely: https://tonyschocolonely.com Belinda’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/belinda-borck/ Belinda's recsNatura: https://www.naturabrasil.com/ The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-poisonwood-bible-barbara-kingsolver Poetry Pharmacy: https://www.poetrypharmacy.co.uk Small World: https://smallworldcatering.nl/ Binnen Oranjestraat 14, 1013 JA Amsterdam, Netherlands