International chocolatiers are showing increased interest in Haitian cocoa, providing rural Haitians a livelihood in cocoa farming after the country’s 2010 Earthquake, says a Federation of farming cooperatives.
Mondelēz International plans to eventually source its entire cocoa supply from its Cocoa Life sustainability program, but says setting deadlines won't lead to meaningful impact on the ground.
We must follow the example of Sweden and bring together the two “very noisy” movements of workers' trade unions and Fairtrade, the CEO of Fairtrade International Harriet Lamb has said.
Cocoa processors now have access to a futures contract that specifies the quality and physical delivery of cocoa in the same conventions as are used in the underlying cocoa market that they are active in, according to CME Group, the exchange behind the...
CME Group has launched the first euro-denominated cocoa futures contract, which it claims provides improved hedging mechanisms that better reflect the physical cocoa market.
Asia’s cocoa grind dropped 17.2% in the fourth quarter after an economic slowdown in China, adding another cocoa processing decline to the world jigsaw.
The world’s third largest cocoa processor Olam has agreed to pay a fine of $3m for alleged mistrading of cocoa futures but has refused to admit wrongdoing.
Weak fourth quarter cocoa grinds in developed markets suggest that consumers have reacted negatively to wholesale chocolate price hikes from the major brands, according to an analyst.
The leading cocoa processors say they will support brand manufacturers to achieve fully sustainable cocoa, but decline to publicly set their own targets.
The cocoa and chocolate industry must continue working towards a sustainable cocoa economy and better livelihoods for cocoa farmers after 2020, says Barry Callebaut’s VP of Cocoa Sustainability.
The Real Good Food Company (RGFC) has blamed its row with British Sugar for its half-year loss and has referred the dispute to the European competition authorities.
The Malaysian government says it is assessing what action it should take to address ‘no palm oil’ labels in France and Belgium, the legal grounds for which have come under scrutiny.
Food Empowerment Project urges transparency on child slavery
The Food Empowerment Project has called on US chocolate makers to list cocoa country of origin on pack so consumers can avoid brands that use cocoa from West Africa, where it claims unlawful child labor is common.
The International Cocoa Organization has quelled media reports of a chocolate crisis in 2020 and says there are sufficient cocoa stocks for the next five years.
Cocoa production in Peru is set to rise 5% in calendar year 2014 and increases in planting will see the country become a key cocoa exporter in the coming years, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Confectionery giants Mondelēz International, Nestlé and Mars must do far more to ensure women are not blocked from day-to-day commercial cocoa operations because of issues like land rights, according to a report commissioned by Oxfam.
The Fairtrade Foundation has urged food companies and retailers to choose Fairtrade sugar, amid concerns that a sugar price slump and CAP reforms could push thousands of workers into poverty.
A lower combined cocoa ratio has caused a decline in cocoa processing in Europe and Asia in Q3, but North America has bucked the trend and could mean consumers in the region have accepted chocolate price hikes.
Certified cocoa bodies can co-exist with an international standard for sustainable cocoa that will be finalized in 2016, according to delegates at the World Cocoa Foundation’s partnership meeting.
A voluntary framework for sustainable cocoa that could help align industry efforts will be introduced by the end of 2016, say those behind the standard.
Chocolate companies and certification organizations can get better productivity gains by improving underperforming cocoa farmers rather than rewarding top producers, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
Ebola is a huge humanitarian concern for the cocoa and chocolate industry, but contrary to some reports it is not yet having a major business impact for big chocolate players like Mars and Mondelēz.
Cocoa Ingredients supplier Transmar has called on cocoa and chocolate companies to make a donation to the Red Cross or Caritas to combat the spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa.
The chocolate industry’s biggest players will discuss how to move forward on cocoa sustainability at the World Cocoa Foundation’s meeting in Copenhagen next week. ConfectioneryNews will be there to bring you the latest.
RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil now accounts for 18% of the total global palm oil market, up from 15% last year, according to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
Nicaragua holds potential as a future fine flavor cocoa origin as farmers shift from coffee to cocoa, but much work is needed to improve fermentation practices, according to Atlanta Chocolate’s founder.
Raw sugar prices are forecast to rise as much as 7% by Q2 2015, but recent trading suggests prices will come down in the longer term, according to an analyst at Rabobank.
The increasing trend towards government investment partnerships with large multinationals threatens land rights, equality and the environment in Africa, an Oxfam report warns.
Hershey has partnered with its supplier Cargill to bring its cocoa sustainability program to the Côte d’Ivoire, helping farmers achieve UTZ certification.
Consumers in producer countries are increasingly interested in Fairtrade certified products as a means of supporting their domestic economy, according to Fairtrade International’s annual report.
Buying certified cocoa only from third party organizations such as UTZ Certified is now an essential part of doing business for all chocolate companies, not just the big ones, says Scandinavian confectioner Cloetta.
Demand for the sustainable oil is rising faster than supply for the first time as total sales of Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) reach more than 2.4 million metric tonnes (MT).
The next several years will herald a surge in quality cocoa volumes from Central America creating opportunities for premium origin chocolates, says Lutheran World Relief.
“The IEA does not accept state money, and all of our research is independent of corporate funding.”
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has said categorically it does not accept state money, following accusations by a Malaysian media outlet that the UK think tank is in bed with the Malaysian Palm Oil Council and the country’s government.
