Cocoa deficit to bring prices higher, predicts Rabobank

22-May-2012 - A consecutive deficit in 2012/13 is set to move cocoa prices higher as supply struggles to meet rising demand for chocolate products in Asia, according to financial services group Rabobank.

Market for UTZ certified cocoa doubles with Germany leading the way

16-May-2012 - Twice as much UTZ certified cocoa was sold to producers in 2011 compared to the previous year as demand for sustainable cocoa soared in Germany, according to the recently published UTZ Certified Annual Report 2011.

International Cocoa Initiative partners with ILO to tackle child labour on cocoa farms

14-May-2012 - The International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), has entered a public-private partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to target 5,000 children in child-labour or at high risk of falling into child labour on cocoa farms in West Africa.

Blommer predicts looming cocoa supply crisis

10-May-2012 - Demand for cocoa is expected to climb 30% in the next 10 years creating a 25% shortage of current supply, according to North American cocoa processor and chocolate ingredients supplier Blommer Chocolate Company.

USDA aims to boost global cocoa production with extended World Cocoa Foundation deal

07-May-2012 - The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has expanded its partnership with the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) in a bid to boost cocoa production in developing countries and improve livelihoods for cocoa farmers.

Hershey maps cocoa farms in Ghana with GPS as labour group doubts commitments

03-May-2012 - Chocolate giant Hershey has announced plans to use GPS mapping for cocoa farms in Ghana to help farmers better manage their resources as labour groups continue to doubt the company’s commitments to eradicate the worst forms of cocoa child labour.

Support cocoa farmers or face a ‘chocolate crisis’, warns academic

23-Apr-2012 - Chocolate manufacturers will face a serious cocoa supply shortage unless they work to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers and allow them to invest in sustainable production, according to an academic.

Cargill upgrades Dutch cocoa plant with €57m investment

20-Apr-2012 - Cargill has added a center of expertise to its cocoa processing facility in Wormer, the Netherlands and automated warehousing at the Port of Amsterdam following a €57m ($82m) investment.

Ferrero promises transparency as it sets 2020 target for sustainable cocoa

16-Apr-2012 - Italian confectioner Ferrero has announced its short term goals towards sourcing 100% third-party verified sustainable cocoa by its 2020 target.

EU resolution on cocoa child labour has ‘no bite’, says Labour group

22-Mar-2012 - The EU resolution on child labour in the cocoa sector passed last week fails to implement legally binding measures on a confectionery industry that has been “dragging its feet”, according to the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF).

Barry Callebaut hopes to improve quality cocoa supply with €33m sustainability initiative

19-Mar-2012 - Barry Callebaut is investing €33.2 (CHF 40m) over the next 10 years in a cocoa sustainability initiative it hopes will boost farm productivity, increase quality and improve farmer livelihoods.

European resolution on cocoa child labour can boost quality cocoa supply, says CAOBISCO

14-Mar-2012 - The European Parliament today gave its consent to the 2010 International Cocoa Agreement and passed a resolution on child labour in the cocoa sector in a move that will benefit manufacturers, according to industry bodies.

Industry backs EU call on cocoa child labour and warns 100% certified is no guarantee

08-Feb-2012 - The chocolate and cocoa industry has backed an EU resolution to tackle child labour in cocoa production and warns children may still have produced cocoa that is 100% certified.

Europe must move to stamp-out cocoa child labour, MEPs tell Commission

31-Jan-2012 - A committee of MEPs is calling on the European Commission (EC) to consider legislating against use of child labour in cocoa plantations that fuel the EU's demand for chocolate, while the world's largest food firm Nestle has outlined its measures to safeguard against the problem.

News in brief

Barry Callebaut and Unilever in global cocoa partnership

23-Jan-2012 - Cocoa giant, Barry Callebaut will become a first choice source of cocoa and chocolate for ice cream manufacturer Unilever under a new long-term global partnership.

Cocoa crop boom to push prices lower in 2012 – Rabobank

05-Dec-2011 - A larger than expected supply of cocoa beans from West Africa will add to high buffer stocks and push cocoa prices down by 4%, according to financial service provider Rabobank.

Nestle ‘sure’ child labour occurs in supply chain as company allows probe

30-Nov-2011 - Nestle has become the first food company to allow the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to investigate whether children are working on cocoa farms supplying its factories as the company said that it would almost certainly be the case.

Callebaut teams with Indonesian cocoa exporter to build €24m processing site

21-Nov-2011 - The world’s leading cocoa manufacturer Barry Callebaut has entered a joint venture with Indonesian cocoa exporter P.T. Comextra Majora and has announced plans to build a €24m manufacturing facility.

Stability in Ivory Coast helps German cocoa grinds soar

21-Oct-2011 - Cocoa production in Germany has risen by 36% on the same quarter last year due to an improved political situation in Ivory Coast, according to the Association of the German Confectionery Industry (BDSI).

‘No magic bullet’ can protect cocoa from climate change

13-Oct-2011 - It will take every tool in the box to combat the effect of climate change on cocoa production, warn industry experts following the publication of research into the impact of rising temperatures on farmers in West Africa.

Peruvian expedition reveals new cacao flavours

27-Sep-2011 - Newly identified types of cacao plants with unique flavours that could be in the confectionery industry have been identified by researchers exploring the Peruvian Amazon Basin.

Cargill pays premium millions to cocoa farmers as sustainable sourcing grows

24-Aug-2011 - Cargill’s drive to secure a good quality and sustainable supply of cocoa beans is filtering down to famers in Cote d'Ivoire as it has just made premium payments totalling more than US $2.2m.

Indonesia: Nestlé commits to sustainable cocoa goal

01-Aug-2011 - Indonesia is the focus of an extension of Nestlé’s sustainable Cocoa Plan initiative, with the Swiss food group aiming to pump $4m (€2.7m) into bean production in that country.

Indonesia wants more investors in cocoa processing sector

01-Jul-2011 - The Indonesian cocoa processing sector is ripe for further investment from multinational food manufacturers, a spokesperson from the country’s investment authority said.