Here’s a toothsome chunk of supply chain news: US chocolate brand Feastables has become the latest name to sign up to Tony’s Open Chain. It means the viral sensation will work with Tony’s Chocolonely, the anti-slavery chocolatier, to uphold five cocoa sourcing principles.
Like Tony’s UK “mission allies” – Pip & Nut, Waitrose, Aldi, Ben & Jerry’s and Huel – Feastables is now committed to the likes of ensuring full traceability of cocoa beans, paying a premium for cocoa to support farmers in achieving a living income, and fostering robust co-operatives to enhance the safety and sustainability of cocoa farming.
This is a significant move because, as many readers will be aware, Feastables is the property of Jimmy Donaldson. He’s the YouTube megastar better known as MrBeast. In fact, such is his online popularity that his choccie bars hit the $10m mark within months of their US launch in 2022. Their UK debut last summer generated a wealth of headlines, and one senior industry source even tipped Feastables as “the next Prime”.
So, one could easily argue Feastables committing to those cocoa sourcing principles is great news not just for the chocolate supply chain, but also for Tony’s. And, in some ways, it is. Donaldson’s star power is undeniable, and his reach is vast. At the time of writing, he boasted 317 million subscribers on his main YouTube channel alone.
That’s a lot of people to educate on Tony’s mission to eradicate slavery from the chocolate supply chain. And when they realise Tony’s chocs are less pricey per 100g and, in this author’s opinion, far tastier than Feastables… ker-ching!
But here’s the complication: Donaldson’s a controversial figure, to say the least. Look at the current outrage sparked by his Lunchly meal kits – a joint venture with fellow YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul – among UK health campaigners.
And, if you can stomach them, consider his latest legal difficulties in the US. The 26-year-old has been named in a Los Angeles court document, which alleges contestants of his upcoming Amazon series, Beast Games, were “shamelessly exploited”.
The five anonymous litigants claim they were coerced into signing “unconscionable contracts with illegal terms and illusory obligations” and subjected to “unreasonable, unsafe, and unlawful employment conditions”.
“The Beast Games work environment systematically fostered a culture of misogyny and sexism where production staff did nothing,” the document asserts. The staff also “failed to remedy the violence and sexual harassment” experienced by many contestants.
It’s dark stuff. So dark, in fact, that one might question Tony’s timing in taking on Feastables as a mission ally. Does the association with Donaldson risk tarnishing the noble Dutch brand’s reputation?
Well, has it been damaged by its team-up with Huel – another brand that has had its fair share of controversy, and one closer to home than an LA courthouse? The answer is no.
The more likely outcome of the Feastables link is that Donaldson, if he plays his cards right, will repair his own reputation at least a little. And, much more importantly, Tony’s will have taken another big step towards its admirable goal.
Because if Tony’s wants to achieve its mission of improving conditions in the cocoa supply chain, it will have to branch out beyond the niche of ethical chocolate brands – and not all its partners will have spotless reputations.
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