Cocoa & Sugar

Inside Ghana Gold, MIA’s new bean-to-bar line

Podcast

Inside Ghana Gold, MIA’s new bean-to-bar line

By Anthony Myers

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...

Love Cocoa's new Easter egg range includes a 'Luxury Half & Half Egg'. Pic: Love Cocoa

Seasonal

Love Cocoa launches new eco-friendly ‘luxury’ Easter eggs

By Anthony Myers

Ethical British chocolate company Love Cocoa has extended its Easter offering with a new Luxury Giant Milk Chocolate Egg and a Luxury Half & Half Egg, both containing the brand’s signature Salted Caramel Truffles.

Olam International (OIL) is the parent company of OFI and OGA. Pic: OIL

Financial results

OFI remains on course for London listing

By Anthony Myers

Singapore-based Olam, OFI’s parent company, said it is tracking global markets following Russia's invasion of Ukraine this week to determine the potential impact on the timing.

Cash transfers for cocoa families in Ghana improved children's material wellbeing, a new study shows. Pic: ICI

Sustainability

New cash transfer scheme for cocoa farmers helps reduce child labour

By Anthony Myers

A cash transfer programme implemented by the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), in partnership with ECOM, has reduced child labour in cocoa-growing households and helped them to cope during difficult times, according to recent research.

Forest recently destroyed to grow cocoa near Blolequin in Cote D'Ivoire. Photo: Mighty Earth

Environment

Cocoa industry still failing to end deforestation, new report claims

By Anthony Myers

A new report from global advocacy organisation Mighty Earth claims that since the high-profile launch of the Cocoa and Forests Initiative (CFI), Africa’s top cocoa-producing nations continue to see huge areas of forest being destroyed to make room for...

Cocoa farmers in Madagascar receive their literacy certificates. Pic: MIA

Sustainability

MIA doubles its commitment to Madagascar’s cocoa farmers

By Anthony Myers

Ethical bean-to-bar ethical chocolate company MIA’s (Made in Africa) 1 for Change giveback programme to support development initiatives in Madagascar is continuing to help communities beyond its supply chain.

The Chocoa conference is normally held n Amsterdam's Beurs van Berlage, Pic: Equipoise.

Chocoa 2022

Chocoa pulls online format, hopes to go live later in year

By Anthony Myers

The influential Chocoa conference, which was planned as a virtual meet-up for the second year running in February because of the COVID pandemic, has been postponed until later in year, organisers Equipoise have confirmed.

Chocolate lovers in the US are pushing up cocoa prices. Pic: GettyImages

Commodities

US demand for chocolate drives up cocoa prices

By Anthony Myers

Record surge for chocolate by American consumers has pushed sales to $29bn, with retail chocolate sales climbing more than 5% a quarter, according to data from Chicago-based researcher IRI.

Pic: CN

Cocoa ingredients trends to watch in 2022

By Anthony Myers

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.

In a traditional chocolate bar, sugar accounts for around half the product. Pic: GettyImages

Sugar reduction/reformulation special edition

Replacing sugar in confectionery is ‘incredibly hard’

By Anthony Myers

Sugar is an important ingredient in confectionery, not only for its taste but also because it contributes to texture, bulk, mouthfeel, aroma, colour, and a number of other attributes that make up chocolate and candy.

The Coalition said it looks forward to discussing the proposals in detail with the Commission, it said. Pic: CN

Regulation

Cocoa Coalition applauds EC on new deforestation legislation

By Anthony Myers

The ‘Cocoa Coalition' of companies, NGOs, certification organisations and multistakeholder organisations has welcomed the European Commission’s (EC) publication of its proposed regulation on deforestation.

The Chocovision Conference becomes part of the ECA's Forum, after 10 years as a standalone event in Davos, where it attracted industry leaders and politicians. Pic: Chocovision

ECA Forum 2022

Chocovision cocoa conference to become part of the ECA’s Rome Forum

By Anthony Myers

Barry Callebaut’s Chocovision, one of the key conferences for senior business leaders and key stakeholders in the cocoa, chocolate and confectionery industry, is to be integrated into next year’s European Cocoa Association (ECA) Forum in Rome.

Cocos farmers Bismark Botwe and his wife Joyce Aidoo on their farm in Ghana, Pic: Kristy Leissle

I am a cocoa farmer: Bismark Botwe, Central Region, Ghana

'Farming cocoa definitely needs a side business'

By Kristy Leissle

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 French initiative is the result of long-standing work by the entire cocoa sector. Pic: Fairtrade International

Regulation

French government launches new initiative for sustainable cocoa

By Anthony Myers

The French government has recently updated its commitment for sustainable cocoa with a new initiative that brings together the State, industry companies, traders, distribution brands, civil society organisations, research institutes working in the cocoa...

Excessive sugar consumption is a factor in COVID hospitalisations, the AHA stated. Pic: GettyImages

Sugar reduction/reformulation special edition

Sugar in the time of COVID

By Anthony Myers

Four in 10 consumers in Innova Market Insights’ global Health and Nutrition Survey in 2020 claimed to have decreased their sugar consumption over the studied 12-month period, with prevention of health conditions the leading reason, followed by weight...