Nestlé’s child labor prevention system in its Cocoa Plan will cover around half of the company’s supply by 2020, but full scale up may never be possible, says its public affairs director.
World food prices rose slightly last month driven by higher vegetable oils prices, and palm oil in particular, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Global palm oil production is expected to grow by 6m tonnes this year, after output was hit hard in 2016 due to the strong effects of the lingering El Niño weather system from the previous year.
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.
Nigeria is the world’s sixth largest cocoa producer, but has scope to significantly boost its output and processing capacity, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
Ferrero says it is on course to trace its entire cocoa supply to farm gate by next year, which it says will support its commitment to zero deforestation.
Agricultural commodities core to Europe’s confectionery industry such as sugarcane, hazelnuts and almonds are vulnerable to water scarcity in the near term, according to an EU-funded report.
Cocoa production is thriving in the Democratic Republic of Congo, presenting an opportunity for the chocolate industry, say stakeholders working in the country.
Confectionery companies should collectively push suppliers to make traceability the norm rather than a premium service, as it is the only way to guarantee sustainable cocoa and palm oil, says The Forest Trust.
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.
Motivations for voluntarily implementing food traceability schemes stem not from the need to maximise profits but enhance information, safety and quality management within the supply chain.
Mondelēz’s sustainability program, Cocoa Life, will collaborate with governments in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana to reduce deforestation in the cocoa supply chain.
A Cayman Islands-registered company allegedly tied to deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon has lost a libel case against ConfectioneryNews and its publisher.
A group of NGOs, including the VOICE Network, Solidaridad and Oxfam, are encouraging chocolate makers to set a minimum price for cocoa and to eventually move to a flexible premium system.
The number of manufacturers using one of the four key commodities linked to deforestation has increased from 67% to 71%, but a worrying number of targets have been missed or forgotten, according to a new report.
Reporting effective approaches to tackle deep-rooted poverty and child labor in the cocoa sector should take precedence over shock headlines, writes ConfectioneryNews’ editor.
Cocoa farmers in the top producing country Côte D’Ivoire earn around 91 US cents (CFA 568) per day, according to a study by Barry Callebaut and the French Development Agency (AFD).
Cargill has begun trialing the International Cocoa Initiative’s (ICI) child labor monitoring and remediation system in cocoa growing communities in Côte D’Ivoire.
FoodNavigator approached industry and campaigners for their reflections on the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)'s 2016 Impact Report. What are the challenges and opportunities in the next 12 months?
European cocoa processing volumes declined in the fourth quarter after processor Euromar became insolvent; the global cocoa market is also expected to enter a supply surplus.
Confectionery manufacturers can expect an increased supply of sugar at reduced prices once the European Union lifts sugar production quotas later this year.
Interview with counsel for six alleged child slaves
A lawyer representing six alleged child slaves working in cocoa in a class action against Nestlé, ADM and Cargill says the ramifications of the case on the chocolate industry could be huge.
The World Cocoa Farmers Organization (WCFO) and The International CoCoa Farmers Organization (ICCFO) have merged and are urging the cocoa and chocolate industry to support efforts to group farmers to ensure traceability.
The legal risk of acknowledging there is child labor and extreme poverty in the chocolate industry’s supply chain is no reason not to act, says Barry Callebaut’s CEO.
Amnesty International has uncovered “systemic” cases of child labour and labour rights abuses in Indonesian palm oil plantations operated by Wilmar, tracing the palm oil back to firms including Nestlé, Unilever and Kellogg – companies that all claim to...
Barry Callebaut has pledged to bring 500,000 cocoa farmers out of extreme poverty and eradicate child labor in its supply chain under an initiative to source fully sustainable cocoa by 2025.
The Swiss buy more fair trade foods than Germans, but it’s not just because there are more products available to them: they’re also “more ethically convinced” by these products, researchers have found.
Calls for mandatory country of origin labelling (COOL) are growing louder in Europe and supporters say it will restore trust, provide transparency and help consumers support local producers if they wish. But one political scientist sees it as "a...
Eight-minute podcast: Fairtrade’s new cocoa director
Fairtrade International plans next year to review its minimum price and premium for certified cocoa against a study measuring the drivers of income for farmers.
