The chocolate industry and supply chain actors recognize buying certified cocoa alone is not enough to make the supply chain sustainable. But what more needs to be done?
Mondelēz’s sustainability program, Cocoa Life, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ghana Cocoa Board to help reduce emissions in its cocoa supply chain, ‘one of the biggest threats to sustainable cocoa production.’
Trian Fund Management CEO Nelson Peltz, who pushed for a merger between Mondelēz and PepsiCo five years ago, will stand down from Mondelez’s Board of Directors as the Cadbury maker names two new members.
Mars plans to quit industry-funded science group, the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), and says it will support research regardless of results after making its science policy public.
Mondelēz’s new CEO Dirk Van de Put, who replaced Irene Rosenfeld last November, called 2017 ‘a solid year’ as the company’s organic sales during Q4 and full fiscal year 2017 grew 2.4% and 0.9% respectively.
Nine major cocoa and chocolate companies have committed $8.5m to an initiative aiming to prove a business case to improve the quality of education in Ivorian cocoa communities.
Mondelēz has teamed up with Post Consumer Brands, Post Holdings’ cereal division, to launch several cereal products using flavors of its long-established cookie and cracker brands, including Honey Maid, Nutter Butter and Chips Ahoy.
Ferrero would become the ‘third largest player in chocolate confectionery in the world if it successfully acquires Nestlé’s US candy business, a deal that is expected to come through by the end of this week, said Euromonitor.
Non-chocolate confectionery grew at a faster rate than chocolate in the US for the first half of 2017, driven in part by one strongly performing brand.
Fourteen Mondelēz employees across the global have finished their ‘Joy Ambassadors Program’ in Ghana, gaining a firsthand understanding of ‘the challenges and opportunities in securing a sustainable cocoa supply.’
There are multiple holes in a new proposed class action complaint filed vs Mondelez over sugar levels in its belVita range, say attorneys. However, the recent shift away from fat to sugar as public enemy #1 has clearly emboldened the plaintiff’s bar.
Hershey took the largest share of Amazon’s candy purchases in October this year compared to Mondelēz-owned Sour Patch Kids, Mars’ Skittles and Starburst, and Perfetti Van Melle’s Airheads, according to a new report from Edison Trends.
Mondelēz was in a strong legal position to stop Poundland’s Twin Peaks from hitting shelves, but the pound store ended up securing a good deal revealing its rising status, says a legal expert.
Traceability from farm to first purchase, common definitions of protected areas and paying farmers a living income are three ways stakeholders say can help end cocoa-driven deforestation in West Africa, which is threatening endangered species.
Mondelēz has confirmed it will close the Cadbury factory in Dunedin, New Zealand, in early 2018, and refurbish its local Cadbury World with a NZ$7m ($5m) investment.
Mondelēz has introduced its Oreo Choc’O Brownie to the UK market and will be supporting the launch with a £2.5m ($3.2m) audiovisual advertising, experiential, sampling and PR campaign.
Though Mondelēz has billed its new plans to invest A$75m (US$60m) into upgrading its Hobart Cadbury factory as a move to “secure local jobs”, it has at the same time revealed that nearly 10% of jobs will be shed in the process.
A survey conducted by YouGov Australia shows that Cadbury is Asia Pacific’s (APAC) favorite chocolate brand, chosen by 25% of the respondents in the region.
Servings of confectionery, fruit juice and biscuits are getting smaller without getting any cheaper, the UK government confirm as findings appear to strengthen what many consumers have long suspected.
Cadbury owner Mondelēz International plans to renovate its power brands with simpler ingredients and improved nutrition after meeting some of its well-being targets early.
Retail value sales of chocolate confectionery in West African countries, like Nigeria and Cameroon, have experienced steady growth over the past five years, according to Euromonitor International.
A British business advisory lawyer says Mondelēz could take action against Poundland for launching Twin Peaks chocolate that looks like its Toblerone brand because of its “unique and distinctive” shape.
Mars Chocolate has launched goodnessKNOWS bars in the UK, hitting the nerve of time that could disrupt the UK’s Top 10 snack bar brands, says Euromonitor.
Sales of cocoa-based products featuring a sustainable trade and farming label, such as Fairtrade, is set to be valued at $8.9bn in 2017, Euromonitor said.
EU confectionery trade body Caobisco is encouraging its members to set a date by which they will source all cocoa and palm oil from a certified sustainable source.
Mondelēz’s sustainability program, Cocoa Life, will collaborate with governments in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana to reduce deforestation in the cocoa supply chain.
Dunedin’s city council says that raising a NZ $20m ($14.44m) public equity float required by Mondelēz to save the local Cadbury factory is likely to be successful.
Nestlé Cocoa Plan has come out top in a report by Stop the Traffik and Baptist World Aid Australia assessing the progress made by chocolate companies and certification organizations in tackling child labor in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
Mondelēz has started operating its latest technical center in Poland, where around 130 specialists will develop the company’s key European biscuits and chocolate products, such as Milka, Oreo, Alpen Gold and Prince Polo.
