Mondelez’s $400m 10-year Cocoa Life program was launched in 2012 to bring change in the cocoa sector.
Cargill said the Cocoa Life program had many synergies with Cargill’s own 'Cocoa Promises' sustainability initiative and the two firms have agreed to combine efforts.
“Improving the livelihoods of farmers and the living standards of cocoa growing communities is critical to securing a sustainable future for cocoa,” said Taco Terheijden, director of Sustainable Cocoa at Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate. “Partnering with customers like Mondelēz International ensures benefits flow to farmers and helps to accelerate progress towards a sustainable supply chain, a goal commonly shared by the industry and supported by the World Cocoa Foundation’s (WCF) CocoaAction strategy.”
Last year, 12 of the largest cocoa and chocolate companies, including Mondelēz and Cargill, joined WCF’s CocoaAction platform to encourage companies to act pre-competitively on cocoa sustainability.
Under the Cocoa Life tie-up, Cargill will help Mondelēz achieve its aims of reaching 200,000 farmers and ‘eventually’ sourcing 100% sustainable cocoa.