68% of consumers understand the concept of regenerative agriculture. That’s according to a new report released by crop supply firm, Acclym. However, only 12% are willing to pay more for products made from cocoa grown using regenerative agriculture practices.
Despite this, major industry players including Nestlé and Mondelēz International, are investing in regenerative agriculture practices. Though uptake across the wider industry remains low, resulting from cost and implementation challenges.
Moving beyond the current hurdles
Due to the competing constraints on the cocoa sector, manufacturers must be selective about the type of opportunities they pursue.
“Food and beverage companies, especially in the cocoa farming industry, typically focus their regenerative agriculture efforts on supply chains where they have strong, direct relationships with producers,” says Arsira Thumaprudti, head of business development at Acclym.
Cocoa producers often have relationships with premium or speciality sourcing channels, where competition is high and specific relationships may take longer to cultivate.
To successfully embrace regenerative agriculture, confectionery brands need to go beyond the sustainability credentials of the practice to actively rebuild ecosystems. These efforts are necessary to push for large-scale adoption.
However, complex frameworks, financial constraints and a lack of consumer relationships within the regenerative agriculture space prevent the practice from fully realising its potential.
As climate risks threaten the future of key confectionery ingredients, the sector is increasingly exploring regenerative agriculture practices.
Between 2021 and 2026, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, French chocolate producer KAOKA, Conservation International Colombia, Biocacao, Foundation KAOKA and CIFOR-ICRAF have teamed up to improve sustainability within the overall cocoa supply chain. The five-year project aims to upscale high-quality, sustainable cocoa production on zero-deforested land that can provide farmers with reliable livelihoods.
A 2024 research study exploring the challenges and solutions of cocoa production within the current decade said that intensifying cocoa production sustainably and achieving high-quality cocoa beans that meet the increasing global demand is vital.
Breeding varieties resistant to yield-restrictive factors, using systems to bolster soil fertility and control pests, diseases and heavy metals, adopting agroforestry systems, raising farm gate prices, and providing social interventions for farmers to help them grow cocoa production on current farmlands are all possible strategies.
Pushing for investment and clear language
In the short term, the transition to regenerative agriculture requires investment. The confectionery industry needs to commit to cash injections to implement new practices, build relationships and establish systems to document and share data.
Regenerative agriculture investment can also be more direct, with F&B companies providing training or offering premium prices to farmers who meet regenerative agriculture standards. “Rather than being a challenge, regenerative agriculture presents an opportunity for F&B companies to strengthen their relationships with cocoa producers,” says Thumaprudti.
Within cocoa farming, regenerative agriculturists experience challenges sharing information with consumers while focusing on narrowing the consumer knowledge gap.
“The main challenge with communicating regenerative agriculture to consumers is the lack of simple, consistent language to explain goals and progress,” says Thumaprudti. The absence of clear language also reflects a broader industry issue with the sector that remains unsolved.
“As regenerative practices are highly context-specific—varying by crop, geography, and environmental conditions—what works in one setting may not apply in another,” she adds.
As a result of this complexity, it’s difficult for regenerative agriculture in the confectionery space to create universal key performance indicators (KPIs) or benchmarks that can be easily communicated to consumers without oversimplifying or introducing confusion.
Premiumisation proves popular
Premium producers are typically perceived as having more advanced processes in the confectionery space. Manufacturers operating at the higher end of the sector are believed to follow agronomic best practices. They can also provide reliable data, crucial for F&B companies’ marketing and sustainability reporting.
“Conventional supply chains often lack that level of producer engagement and data transparency, making it harder to implement and verify regenerative practices at scale,” says Thumaprudti.
F&B companies, therefore, play an essential role in the uptake and adoption of regenerative agriculture. “There is significant potential for F&B companies to support cocoa producers in adopting regenerative agriculture, which can lead to increased yields and improved productivity over time,” Thumaprudti shares.
