Industry leaders take the Bakery&Snacks’ podium to discuss the movement that is increasingly impacting all areas when it comes to creating stand out snacks, from trickier better-for-you formulations that do not compromise on indulgence, to simpler...
As new research reveals that deforestation in the world’s largest cocoa-growing country could be far more worse than originally predicted, a White Paper published by Barry Callebaut looks how to tackle productivity on cocoa farms to end the cycle of unsustainable...
The importance to the cocoa sector of female farmers has been increasingly recognised in the past decade with the introduction of specific support for female-led Fairtrade cooperatives in West Africa, along with initiatives from other actors in different...
The price of cocoa, and therefore chocolate, may be rising but the demand for chocolate from consumers also shows no signs of abating as the industry celebrates this year’s World Chocolate Day (7 July) with some nutty friends.
In June 2022, PRONATEC opened the first organic cocoa processing facility in Switzerland, located in Beringen, near the company’s headquarters in Winterthur. A year on, ConfectioneryNews caught up with MD/CEO David Yersin to find out how the new plant...
In the rugged landscapes of rural Colombia, where conflict and adversity have cast a shadow for over 50 years, an unlikely hero has emerged: cocoa. Beyond its delectable taste and aroma, cocoa is proving to be a powerful force for driving peace and prosperity...
It is not every day that you get to plant your own sustainable cocoa tree, but I was allowed the honour by the team at Compañía Nacional de Chocolates on a visit to its Guacamayas Farm in Urabá, Antioquia, in Colombia, to see the work underway to boost...
I have spent close to 30 years working on the ground in West Africa alongside rural communities, including cocoa-growing communities. In that time, I have learned a lot about why deforestation happens in the first place and the most effective ways we...
Chicago in May, without the Sweets & Snacks Expo rolling into town, is going to feel different and it will also be a blow to the city’s coffers, as it is estimated the huge trade fair historically pulls in at least $21 million when it sets up shop...
As an experiment, I turned to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT* to obtain an outside eye on the current state of the cocoa industry. I was curious to know if a computer algorithm could come up with credible answers to the main issues that...
Among other ambitious targets, a goal of the TSIRO Alliance in Madagascar is to 'conserve biodiverse ecosystems'. It’s a tall order, but one that the programme is uniquely designed to meet.
The value of the global cocoa market is $48.3 billion in 2022, which is projected to reach $ 79 billion by 2032-end, increasing at a CAGR of 5% between 2022 and 2032, according to new research by Fact.MR.
Luker Chocolate, a Colombian family-owned business-for-business (B4B) chocolate manufacturer that provides chocolate and cocoa to many private label and artisan companies in the UK, has highlighted a remarkable story of two women who bridge the digital...
In closing this year’s NCA State of the Industry Conference in Miami, John Downs, the association’s President and CEO, said one of the ‘Strategic Bets’ for the next 12 months is to address the largest Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues...
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between ‘CACAO’ and ‘COCOA’? So do we! For consistency, ConfectioneryNews’s editorial guide uses the word 'COCOA', except when quoting other sources, but it can get a little confusing ...
PRONATEC, an owner-run Swiss family company that maintains long-standing partnerships with cooperatives in the countries of origin, has been a pioneer in the global organic and Fairtrade movement for 45 years. In 2022, it opened its own impressive and...
Here at ConfectioneryNews, we put our audience at the heart of what we do. For many years, we have provided our readers with a 360-degree view of the chocolate, candy and cocoa industries and our editorial standards remain unsurpassed. We’ve come a long...
Guy Debbas, a Lebanese-American, has spoken to ConfectioneryNews about his incredible story of surviving political assignation in his native country to become a renowned gourmet chocolatier in California.
ConfectioneryNews looks back over another tumultuous and eventful 12 months and asks what our most popular stories tell us about the state of the industry.
As ConfectioneryNews reported last month, the trend for single-origin cocoa ingredients has been growing for some time, as consumers with a sweet craving also look more closely at how and where their cocoa is sourced.
Located in the heart of the country’s cocoa-growing region, the former yuca farm has been leading research not only into sustainable practices but also into developing two new types of cocoa bean varieties. ConfectioneryNews paid a visit recently to find...
Colombian B4B chocolate manufacturer, Luker Chocolate, announces the addition of a Single Origin Ecuador 72% dark chocolate couverture to its Selected Origins line.
Arguably, some of the best single-origin chocolate on Earth is produced in Madagascar, where the country’s ecosystem gives its cocoa unique flavours and aromas.
Like Medellin, the city in Colombia where the company is headquartered, Cordillera Chocolates has been quietly going through its own transition over the past decade, in this case, positioning itself to become a global leader in the cocoa sector. ConfectioneryNews...
Tessa Porter is the founder of Sprinkk, a candy development and manufacturing company based in Omaha, Nebraska. She is also a ‘candy scientist’ and has a Masters in food science focusing on sugar crystallization from the University of Wisconsin-Madison...
In this exclusive op-ed for ConfectioneryNews by Brett Beach, Co-founder of sustainable chocolate brand Made in Africa (MIA), and Dr Kristy Leissle, a member of CN’s editorial board and the author of numerous books and articles on cocoa and industry politics,...
From today, we are making changes to the way our readers access some of our news content. After reading two articles, all users will be asked to register with the site, to keep track of important cocoa, chocolate and candy industry news.
Colombia’s Cordillera Chocolates is a world pioneer in cocoa development. Established almost 60 years ago it has been training cocoa growers in various areas of agricultural practices, sustainability issues, disease control and productivity – and the...
The brand celebrated its entry into the US market with a successful showing at the Sweets & Snacks Expo 2022 in Chicago. We talk to Eliza G Jahn, Head of Marketing at Katjes USA, to pick over some of the highlights of the event.
First created by the family-run Terry’s Chocolate factory in York in 1932, the popular orange-flavoured ball was a Christmas treat for many families in the UK – but the brand lives on and is now produced by Carambar in France.
A definite trend at this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo was plant-based, with free-from products popping up at booths all over the floorspace. But what other trends are here to stay, and which will go away? Marcia Mogelonsky, Director of Insight Mintel...
John Downs, National Confectioners Association (NCA) President and CEO, reflects on 25 years of Sweets & Snacks as the Expo successfully returns to Chicago with renewed energy and looks forward to a bright future.
Peru is the world's ninth largest cocoa producer (roughly 71,175 tons a year) and the world’s largest organic cocoa producer, and it is now on a mission to develop a deforestation-free supply chain by 2025, making it ready for new European market...
Olam food ingredients (ofi) is one of the world’s largest cocoa bean suppliers with a leading presence in 10 key producing countries across Africa, Asia and South America. It has published its 2021 Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) Report to share...
The company has published its ‘Chocolate Foodprint’ for 2021-22, which leads the way for artisan brands in transparency and regeneration in the cocoa sector. We talk to Philipp Kauffmann, the company’s founder.
ConfectioneryNews talked to Jose Puyana, ProColombia's Regional Director for Europe, ahead of a Trade Mission to the UK (31 March to 3 April) to attend the London Coffee Festival, where cocoa producers will be also in attendance.
MIA, short for Made in Africa, is branching out from its base in Madagascar to work with cocoa farmers in West Africa. Co-founder Brett Beach tells ConfectioneryNews the reasons behind the move – and also provides an update on the situation on the island...
The recent global weather events has highlighted the real threat of climate change. In a special podcast Michael Gidney, CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation, tells consumers about the impact of the climate crisis on its network of farmers and what they can...
Olam Food Ingredients (ofi) has revealed five top trends for the confectionery sector this year, with planetary health a key focus, along with amplified taste experiences and premiumization all set to dominate.
Belinda Borck, Impact Editor at Tony's Chocolonely, talks to CN on the company’s latest impact report and why it is not driven by profit but by creating a fair price for the cocoa farmer and a transparent supply chain.
I am a cocoa farmer: Bismark Botwe, Central Region, Ghana
In the fifth article in her occasional 'I am a cocoa farmer series', cocoa scholar Kristy Leissle talks to Bismark Botwe, about the struggle to make a decent living income from farming cocoa – and why he is now saving the ‘sweatings’ from the...
The Salon du Chocolat attracted over 60,000 visitors when it returned as a live event to the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles earlier this month - and this year, its 26th edition, more space was given to young start-up companies.
Stefan Reidy is the founder and CEO of Arviem, a Swiss-based provider of multi-modal, in-transit supply chain visibility. He explains how best to protect valuable cocoa beans during their journey from West African ports to Europe and North America.
As the industry prepares for Halloween, National Confectioners Association President and CEO John Downs outlines the significance of confectionery in relation to the nation’s wealth in terms of job creation and spending power.
Earlier this year, The International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) launched a new study to analyse data from various stakeholders’ Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation Systems (CLMRS), with the aim of guiding improvements in their effectiveness at identifying,...
I am a cocoa farmer: Ama Ampomaa, Central Region, Ghana
In the fourth article in her occasional 'I am a cocoa farmer series', cocoa scholar Kristy Leissle talks to Ama Ampomaa, whose family has owned a cocoa farm for more than a century and today she and her siblings control around one hundred plots...
