The European Parliament has said companies supplying products that risk contributing to deforestation will be ‘monitored and held accountable’ through new due diligence regulations. But farming groups have raised concerns that the new regulation might...
The World Cocoa Foundation’s Partnership Meeting heard a timely debate on EU landmark legal proposals set to be imposed that will mean that cocoa, along with other commodities such as palm oil and beef, linked to deforestation, will be banned from entering...
Child labour remains a persistent challenge in the cocoa sector, and is the main focus of this year’s WCF Partnership Meeting, which opened online today with a message from new President Martin Short.
‘This COP’s outcome is in many ways a cop out, a frustrating conclusion to this summit filled with hope that we would see a start to the healing of our world… said Mary Kinyua, responding to the outcome of the Glasgow summit.
With the COP26 meeting in Glasgow due to end Friday 12 November, Fairtrade has announced is has launched a new climate-focused partnership with Grow Ahead, a leading crowd-funding platform addressing the local challenges of climate change.
The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) 2021 Partnership Meeting takes place online again this year from November 17 and 18 – see below for registration details.
Who grows my food, are they paid fairly, and do they use eco-friendly farming methods? These are some of the questions being asked by conscious consumers at the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow this month.
Mars is building out its commitments on water stewardship, targeting action that will impact the most stressed watersheds where it operates. FoodNavigator hears from Kevin Rabinovitch, VP of Sustainability and Chief Climate Officer, about why urgent change...
As the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (also known as COP26) gets underway today in a rainy Glasgow, a new Fairtrade study has revealed findings that ‘paints a bleak picture’ of the future for cocoa and other commodities.
Both the forthcoming proposals for legislation – on corporate due diligence and on deforestation – can provide the basis for the transformation of the sector, benefiting producer countries and cocoa farmers, it said.
A sharp and sudden drop in cocoa farmgate prices by 18.5% in Cote d’Ivoire has led to ethical Netherlands’ brand Tony’s Chocolonely launching an urgent appeal to all chocolate companies to match the price Tony’s pays its cocoa farmers.
An evaluation into the outcomes of Fairtrade’s West Africa Cocoa Programme (WACP) has found stronger cooperatives among participating producers, organisation revealed.
The ongoing inaction by the US Food and Drug Administration over CBD (cannabidiol) in foods and dietary supplements is having a negative impact on trademark laws, says an industry lawyer.
Blommer Chocolate Company, the largest cocoa processor and chocolate ingredient supplier in North America, has announced it has joined a growing list of major chocolate manufacturers, such as Arcor, Barry Callebaut, Ezaki Glico Co, The Hershey Company,...
As part of its Cocoa for Generations strategy that was launched three years ago, confectionery giant Mars has released a latest update on its sustainability efforts in West Africa.
With the UK set to roll out restrictions on unhealthy food promotions in stores next year, fresh research claims healthier supermarket layouts, including fruit and vegetables placed near store entrances, improves customers’ food choices.
The European Cocoa Association (ECA), whose primary role is to act as an intermediary between the EU and cocoa producing countries when key concerns for the cocoa sector are under discussion, has announced the appointment of five new companies, bringing...
Olam International’s subsidiary Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Ministry of Forest Economy (MEF) of the Republic of Congo have agreed to renew their partnership agreement to protect wildlife around...
Exports of British chocolate to the EU are down 18.5% in the first half of 2021, compared with the equivalent six months in 2019, latest figures from the Food & Drink Federation (FDF) show.
Sustainalytics a leading company assessing confectionery’s efforts to manage the environmental, social and governance management risks in supply chains, has ranked Barry Callebaut #3 out of 203 companies in the packaged food industry.
The Federal Association of the German Confectionery Industry (BDSI) is urging the European Union (EU) to adopt the same template as Germany when it introduces a European supply chain law.
Increased understanding of cocoa farmers is required if the chocolate industry is to meet its forest restoration and net carbon zero targets, says Earthworm Foundation’s Gerome Tokpa
The European Commission (EC) has reiterated its commitment to ending all forms of child labour by 2025 and will use trade incentives, such as General Scheme of Preferences, to cooperate with partners to combat the problem.
Its latest report highlights the new 2020 Rainforest Alliance certification programme (which has replaced former Rainforest Alliance and UTZ programmes since July 2021), the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has worked to transform the cocoa...
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,...
The raw cacao chocolate brand has been striving to become as socially responsible as possible in its supply chain, using natural ingredients like raw, 100% organic Ecuadorian cacao, unrefined coconut sugar and fruit for its product. It is also gluten...
The UK has said that it is going to restrict marketing, promotion and in-store placement for products that are considered high in fat, sugar and salt. Who will emerge as the winners and losers from this policy shake up?
The Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa (SWISSCO) has reported good progress in promoting sustainability in the Swiss cocoa value chain as it deepens its engagement in projects and international cooperation.
During a special session held earlier this month, the International Cocoa Council (ICC) said it has extended the duration of the seventh International Cocoa Agreement by two years to 30 September 2024.
Specially commissioned film designed to reveal to consumers how choosing Fairtrade chocolate can change the lives and futures of cocoa farmers and their communities.
New study released in time for World Chocolate Day shows farmers in the most impoverished circumstances benefit from growing cocoa rather than their non-certified counterparts.
A powerful cocoa coalition partnership has called on the European Commission to pursue the establishment of bilateral agreements between the European Union and cocoa-producing countries to contribute to establishing a fully sustainable cocoa supply chain.
Neighbouring West African states account for over 60% of global cocoa supplies, but have threatened to name and shame chocolate brands trying to avoid paying the LID, a $400-per-tonne premium, which goes to their farmers.
Dutch disruptor brand Tony’s Chocolonely - that is on 'a mission to make 100% slave free chocolate the norm' - has urged EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders to introduce a law requiring human rights due diligence in companies’ supply chains.
The German Confectionery Industry (BDSI) has said it welcomes the German Bundestag national supply chain due diligence law and that it has been made clear that there are no additional liability risks for companies beyond the existing ones.
A coalition of global civil societies has renewed its calls for the elimination of child labour in the cocoa industry - in both consuming and producing nations.
In Germany, companies will be required to identify and account for human rights violations in global supply chains. While largely perceived to be a step in the right direction, some argue the new law falls short.
The International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) has launched a new strategy to take it up to 2026 with the aim of scaling up action across the entire cocoa supply chain in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, and building on lessons learned and progress made over the past...
Initially launched in Europe at the beginning of the year, Tony's Chocolonely’s Sweet Solution bars - which were originally ‘look-a-like’ limited-edition versions of notable chocolate bars made with Tony’s 5 Sourcing Principles for fairer chocolate...
The new ‘Cadbury Farmer Resilience Fund’ designed to protect cocoa farmer livelihoods during the COVID-19 pandemic is providing grants that will empower thousands of women farmers to start small businesses and earn a decent living.
Nestlé has announced it has joined other business leaders across the food industry to support ambitious action by the European Union (EU) to increase supply chain transparency and traceability for commodities that may be linked to deforestation.
Gowland previously served as Executive Vice President for Latin America and Global Innovation at The Nature Conservancy. Before that, he spearheaded sustainability initiatives in the private sector, including stints at Unilever and Nike.
