Colombian B4B chocolate manufacturer, Luker Chocolate, is expanding its collaborative sustainability plan into South Bolívar, a remote cocoa-producing region in the country.
A conference involving The Platform for Sustainable Cocoa, the Soy and Palm Oil Network and the Coffee Interest Group was recently held in Bern Switzerland to develop new tougher measures for the conservation of tropical forests.
Barry Callebaut has reported lower nine-month sales volumes in its 9-Month Key Sales Figures for Fiscal Year 2022-23 after being hit by growing global inflationary pressures and the high price of cocoa on the commodity market that pushes up the price...
Olam food ingredients (ofi) has introduced two new circular biomass boilers at its cocoa processing factories in the Netherlands and Germany, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The importance to the cocoa sector of female farmers has been increasingly recognised in the past decade with the introduction of specific support for female-led Fairtrade cooperatives in West Africa, along with initiatives from other actors in different...
London-based sustainable chocolate brand Love Cocoa’s mission to drive positive change within the chocolate industry has received an added boost after recognition as a certified B Corporation, achieving an overall B Impact Score of 88.3.
Food and beverage firms are struggling to meet deforestation related key performance indicators (KPIs) set by environmental disclosure not-for-profit CDP, new data has shown.
Nestlé is driving a fresh incentive to protect the Cavally Forest, which lies adjacent to cocoa production areas in western Cote d'Ivoire, and is one of the last remaining dense forests and a primary biodiversity spot threatened by deforestation.
Organisers of the Cacao of Excellence Awards Ceremony have announced the event will take place on 8 February 2024 as part of the CHOCOA Trade Show, Chocolate Makers’ Forum, Conference and Chocolate Festival during Amsterdam Cocoa Week, uniting the world’s...
In the rugged landscapes of rural Colombia, where conflict and adversity have cast a shadow for over 50 years, an unlikely hero has emerged: cocoa. Beyond its delectable taste and aroma, cocoa is proving to be a powerful force for driving peace and prosperity...
The global provider of sustainable agricultural solutions has published its annual progress report under the Cocoa Forest Initiative (CFI), claiming it has exceeded all targets across each reporting category.
Few ecosystems are as important as rainforests, but with scientists claiming we are close to a tipping point and that a massive process of forest restoration is needed to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2030, ConfectioneryNews spoke with Kerry Daroci,...
Swiss-based Jacobs Foundation, along with the Colombian Ministry of Education and Fundación Empresarios por la Educación, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to contribute to the improvement of the holistic learning outcomes of children in Colombia...
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced a new project to promote sustainable cocoa and coffee production in Indonesia with The Hershey Company, Rikolto, the Indonesian government, and PT. Olam Indonesia - part of olam...
Fine Chocolate Industry Association has announced it has added a new term to its recently launched Glossary that combines the concepts of Fairtrade and Made at Origin.
Following a successful year of rapid growth and strong progress on sustainability, Tony’s Chocolonely has raised an additional €20m of capital from its existing shareholders to accelerate the delivery of its mission, the Dutch ethical brand has announced.
Barry Callebaut has announced it has extended its long-term global agreement for the supply of cocoa and chocolate with Unilever, intensifying its collaboration in areas of innovation and sustainability.
It is not every day that you get to plant your own sustainable cocoa tree, but I was allowed the honour by the team at Compañía Nacional de Chocolates on a visit to its Guacamayas Farm in Urabá, Antioquia, in Colombia, to see the work underway to boost...
Fairtrade has launched a new programme to support its certified Ivorian and Ghanaian cocoa cooperatives to strengthen prevention and remediation of child labour and forced labour.
Ethical Dutch brand Tony’s Chocolonely has announced the inclusion of two UK brands as ‘Mission Allies’ in its sustainable supply chain, which has been established to address issues such as child labour and farmer poverty in the cocoa sector.
Nestlé has announced that it will partner with Yield Lab Latam, a Latin American venture capital fund, to work on sustainable packaging and regenerative farming. Yield Lab Latam provides funding to agri-food companies across Latin America, connecting...
I have spent close to 30 years working on the ground in West Africa alongside rural communities, including cocoa-growing communities. In that time, I have learned a lot about why deforestation happens in the first place and the most effective ways we...
Colombian B2B sustainable chocolate brand Cordillera Chocolates is launching a long-term strategy to develop the roles of female cocoa growers with a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship and leadership.
Tony’s Chocolonely has announced it has implemented a new legal ‘golden share’ mechanism to indefinitely protect its mission of producing ‘slave free chocolate’ – regardless of shareholder structure.
Colombian sustainable B4B (business-for-business) chocolate manufacturer, Luker Chocolate has announced that it has been certified as a B Corporation, highlighting its dedication to driving transformational change in the cocoa industry.
On 1 October 2023, the UK will ban single-use plastics, with the guidance having been released on 23 May. The EU have also released wide-ranging guidance on plastics.
As an experiment, I turned to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT* to obtain an outside eye on the current state of the cocoa industry. I was curious to know if a computer algorithm could come up with credible answers to the main issues that...
Charity calls for ‘Big Chocolate’ to pay more to Ghana’s cocoa farmers after it revealed that their net incomes have fallen on average by 16% since 2020, with women’s incomes falling by nearly 22%.
Among other ambitious targets, a goal of the TSIRO Alliance in Madagascar is to 'conserve biodiverse ecosystems'. It’s a tall order, but one that the programme is uniquely designed to meet.
The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) has announced Christine McGrath, SVP and Chief Impact & Sustainability Officer at Mondelēz International, as its new chair, along with two new board officers.
Nestlé officially inaugurated its Lausanne, Switzerland-based research institute, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, to improve agricultural sustainability throughout its supply chain.
Barry Callebaut Group has announced significant changes to its Forever Chocolate sustainability programme adding additional targets and sharpening existing ones as it looks to make sustainable chocolate the norm beyond 2025.
The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) has announced the reappointment of Michel Arrion as Executive Director for a period of 5 years until 30 September 2028.
ConfectioneryNews was invited by Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest cocoa supplier and chocolate manufacturer with a significant operational presence in Cote d’Ivoire, to report on how the country is adapting to new challenges in its supply chain.
In the week that the European Parliament adopted a new law to fight global deforestation and ahead of Earth Day (22 April), Satelligence has announced results of a collaboration with Swedish sustainable ingredients supplier AAK on helping it verify its...
The European Parliament has formally adopted a new law to fight global deforestation with cocoa, coffee, palm-oil, soya, wood, rubber, charcoal printed paper products and cattle covered by the new rules, which obliges companies to ensure products sold...
Cocoa production in Colombia has increased by over 60% in the past 12 years and according to the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), in 2020, Colombia ranked 10th in the world in terms of annual cocoa production.
As reported in CN earlier this month, Amsterdam’s Chocoa Conference will now take place from 7 to 11 February 2024 in cooperation with the World Cocoa Foundation’s Partnership Meeting, which will run from 6 to 7 February in the same venue (Beurs van Berlage)...
Premium sustainability chocolate brand MIA (Made in Africa) has carved out a unique reputation for itself since launching several years ago in Madagascar, crafting bean-to-bar products in cocoa-growing communities.
Olam Group Limited has published its 2022 Annual Report, which highlights its financial and non-financial achievements across three comprehensive components: Strategic Report, Governance Report and Financial Report.
The West African country is the world’s largest cocoa grower, but sustainability problems persist despite numerous government and industry interventions, as highlighted by two recent reports.
The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) has announced its next Partnership Meeting will take place in Amsterdam at the Beurs van Berlage (Old Stock Exchange) from 6 to 7 February 2024, immediately followed by the CHOCOA conference, which will take place in the...
While many companies claim ‘100% sustainably sourced cocoa’ on their chocolate bars, these sustainability claims cannot be ‘ necessarily’ trusted,' according to the latest ‘Chocolate Scorecard’ that has analysed companies selling chocolate around...
Délifrance has unveiled the next chapter of its ‘Prove It’ series, this time taking a deep dive into sustainability trends and whether the UK bakery sector is moving the needle in the right direction.
Launched in October 2018 at the World Cocoa Foundation’s (WCF) Partnership Meeting in São Paulo, CocoaAction Brasil is coming to the end of its initial five-year cycle. The recent publication of an Impact Report reveals how it has helped cocoa regain...
The long-term agreement with Nestlé will include payments for ecosystem services (PES) to more than 6,000 farmers covering 11,500 hectares of agroforestry in Côte d’Ivoire. The implementation of the project is already underway, with three cooperatives...
Alongside its 2022 Annual Report, Nestlé has published its Creating Shared Value and Sustainability (CSV) Report, with details on its supply chain transparency commitments and progress on its ‘Good for the Planet' initiative as well as the company’s...
Dove Galaxy said it will focus on women empowerment within cocoa growing communities and Dove Galaxy retail markets as part of an ambitious sustainability pledge to help one million people thrive by 2030 in its value chain.
