The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is rolling out a new Nutrition Facts label that shines a spotlight on ‘Added Sugars’ to help Americans cut back on the amount they consume, while on the other side of the pond, the UK’s sugar tax is producing...
Mars Wrigley has announced a $10m investment to support women’s empowerment in cocoa-growing communities, working with CARE to build on the success and learnings of their Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) initiative.
New data shows women could be struggling on just 23p (29c) a day, well below the extreme poverty line of £1.40 ($1.81) and organisation calls on government and chocolate companies to join the Alliance on Living Incomes in Cocoa, a new international initiative.
Washington Post reports on action from human rights group to petition US government to ban cocoa imports from the West African country because of child labor and trafficking concerns.
Cocoa Association of Asia (CAA) has announced the postponement of its International Cocoa Conference, due to be held in Singapore on 26 to 27 March due to the global coronavirus epidemic.
The Chocoa Conference, held annually in Amsterdam for the past eight years, has gained a strong reputation for providing a platform for detailed discussions on sustainability and quality in the cocoa sector, ConfectioneryNews speaks to Jack Steijn, co-founder,...
Malaysian cocoa firm Vive Snack is banking on a strong local focus to further expand its reach in the domestic market, with an emphasis on its use of local ingredients and new product innovations.
Fairtrade International pioneers unique and effective program to address child labor in farming communities. Anita Sheth, senior advisor social compliance and development, Fairtrade International, explains an ongoing program in Belize to empower local...
Divine Chocolate was established in 1998 by a co-operative of cocoa farmers in Ghana that owns 44% of the company and shares in its profit. Its cocoa is Fairtrade certified and 100% traceable.
'I am a cocoa farmer' is an occasional series by Dr Kristy Leissle, scholar of the cocoa and chocolate industries. Here she visits Bahati Sanjingu, a cocoa farmer in Tanzania, and hears how she made the transition from growing rice to cocoa...
Mars Incorporated has announced it has engaged Nature Source Improved Plants (NSIP) in a collaborative project to enable its cocoa supply chain to become more sustainable in the future.
November was ‘a bullish month for the cocoa futures market as the price hit its highest level in 2019 and the highest since May 2018, said analyst Andrew Hecht, author of the Hecht Commodity Report.
From 100% recyclable packaging by Nestlé to a personal account of the life of a cocoa farmer in Ghana, and let's not forget NCA boss John Downs rocking Boca! Here is our rundown of some of our best read stories of 2019.
Coffee and cocoa farmers often grow avocado and mango as part of sustainable agroforestry systems - but these are vulnerable to climate change and should be swapped for more resilient crops, according to a recent study.
Swiss confectionery giant claims it is investing $45m a year in its sustainability program and making progress tackling child labor in its cocoa supply chain in West Africa.
From blockchain to crop monitoring with drones, smallholder cocoa producers in Honduras are digitizing their production thanks to a project led by the Inter-American Development Bank.
Fair trade standards should become watchdogs instead of the benchmark for sustainability, argues the recently appointed head of sustainable commodities NGO Solidaridad.
Mission-led chocolate brands promoting a cocoa province can not only generate consumer engagement, but help deprived producing communities that need it most, according to a sustainability analyst.
Cargill says it is investing over $113m to expand its cocoa processing sites in Yopougon, Côte d'Ivoire, and Tema, Ghana – while increasing its ‘Cocoa Promise’ in the two countries.
Natural ingredients take centre stage at this year’s Fi Europe, the annual, and world's largest, gathering of ingredient buyers and decision makers in the food industry.
In the second of a series of articles on Barry Callebaut’s operations in Ghana we look at the company’s carbon reduction strategy in West Africa – as the group announced that it is contributing to the collective efforts of climate change to cap global...
Cocoa companies, NGOs and Fairtrade issue joint statement for human rights and environmental due diligence requirements to be urgently imposed by European Union.
Paul Schoenmakers, head of impact and the person driving Tony’s Chocolonely’s sustainability programme, talks exclusively to ConfectioneryNews on business growth, legislation and doing the right thing in the cocoa sector.
The American baking industry will not experience a sugar shortage – despite severe weather conditions that have battered the country’s sugar-producing regions – as the US Department of Commerce has increased the quota of imported refined sugar from Mexico.
As industry considers how best to reduce sugar in sweetened food and beverages, could fruit-derived ingredients provide a ‘natural’ alternative to the refined sweet stuff?
Barry Callebaut’s presence in Ghana’s cocoa sector is all consuming, like its presence in the chocolate industry, and it knows that with size comes responsibility. Ahead of the official publication of its worldwide sustainability program’s Forever Chocolate...
Ethical Dutch chocolate brand’s annual figures have a lot to shout about, just don’t go looking for profit in a company that is on a mission to make ‘slave-free chocolate’ the norm.
Sustainability is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics in APAC’s food and beverage industry, but it can be hard to distinguish between greenwashing and a genuine commitment best practice. That’s why in this edition of Asia’s Food Future: Industry 4.0,...
Bunge Loders Croklaan has launched its clean label and ‘healthier’ version of cocoa butter replacer for the confectionery industry, in an attempt to capitalise on demand for more healthy options in the Middle East.
StarChefs and the French chocolate maker – a chef favorite – challenged pastry professionals to create a plated dessert and petits fours recipe using its 46% milk chocolate from the Dominican Republic.
Nestlé, Mars, Hershey and Lindt earned C-level ratings in the organization’s chocolate scorecard, while Mondelēz and Godiva fared worse. Smaller players including Alter Eco, Endangered Species, Theo and Tony’s Chocolonely again received top marks in the...
Barry Callebaut announced sales volumes grew 5.1% to 2.14m tonnes in the 12 months to August 31, while net profit rose 6.9% in local currencies to CHF368.7m ($371m), the world’s leading manufacturer of cocoa products said in its full-year results for...
The newly-formed Retailer Cocoa Collaboration strongly supports CFI and the Frameworks for Action as a landmark multi-stakeholder initiative for protecting and restoring forests in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Colombia and other areas. 'Retailers as drivers...
The company, one of the world's largest cocoa suppliers, commits to living incomes for farmers, a child labor-free supply chain and greater forest protection by 2030.
The EU has issued a powerful call to action for a responsible cocoa supply chain, saying there is a strong case for mandatory due diligence legislation to ensure human rights and environmental protection and support of voluntary corporate action that...
The US International Trade Court sided with CSC Sugar, a refiner, in a case regarding a 2017 amendment to the purity of sugar traded between the US and Mexico.
In light of the The Washington Post article this week that found ‘alarming’ problems with Utz’s auditing processes, a timely session at the WCF Partnership Meeting on blockchain looks at how it can help with supply chain certification – but is the industry...
Rick Scobey launched this year’s WCF Partnership Meeting in Berlin with an impassioned speech outlining a fresh vision and investment to alleviate farmer poverty and improve sustainability in the cocoa sector, as Mars Wrigley launches its own Sustainable...
On the eve of the World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting in Berlin, ConfectioneryNews caught up with Antonie Fountain, managing director of The VOICE Network, which describes itself as ‘a watchdog and catalyst for a reformed cocoa sector’, for a special...
Following our article on 14 October stating that Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire have announced that they are frustrated with the slow uptake from makers to pay a living income to its farmers, ethical Dutch chocolate brand Tony’s Chocolonely said it agrees with...
