The West African country is the world’s largest cocoa grower, but sustainability problems persist despite numerous government and industry interventions, as highlighted by two recent reports.
In news over-shadowed by the shock resignation of CEO Peter Boone, Barry Callebaut announced sales volumes in the six months ending 28 February fell 2.9% to 1.13 million tonnes and has lowered its sales volume guidance as inflationary pressures continue...
The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) has announced its next Partnership Meeting will take place in Amsterdam at the Beurs van Berlage (Old Stock Exchange) from 6 to 7 February 2024, immediately followed by the CHOCOA conference, which will take place in the...
The Board of Directors has appointed Peter Feld (57, German national) as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Barry Callebaut Group, with immediate effect. Feld succeeds Peter Boone who is stepping down for personal reasons.
While many companies claim ‘100% sustainably sourced cocoa’ on their chocolate bars, these sustainability claims cannot be ‘ necessarily’ trusted,' according to the latest ‘Chocolate Scorecard’ that has analysed companies selling chocolate around...
Délifrance has unveiled the next chapter of its ‘Prove It’ series, this time taking a deep dive into sustainability trends and whether the UK bakery sector is moving the needle in the right direction.
Launched in October 2018 at the World Cocoa Foundation’s (WCF) Partnership Meeting in São Paulo, CocoaAction Brasil is coming to the end of its initial five-year cycle. The recent publication of an Impact Report reveals how it has helped cocoa regain...
The long-term agreement with Nestlé will include payments for ecosystem services (PES) to more than 6,000 farmers covering 11,500 hectares of agroforestry in Côte d’Ivoire. The implementation of the project is already underway, with three cooperatives...
Alongside its 2022 Annual Report, Nestlé has published its Creating Shared Value and Sustainability (CSV) Report, with details on its supply chain transparency commitments and progress on its ‘Good for the Planet' initiative as well as the company’s...
Gerard Manley, CEO of ofi’s Cocoa business and the group’s Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), has announced he will will retire at the end of June 2023 after 25 years with the company.
CFI 2.0 expected to prioritise a national traceability system in direct and indirect supply chains to counter deforestation caused by cocoa growing in West Africa, when the announcement is made in May 2023.
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...
Strong consumer demand for affordable, sustainable products will drive the Fairtrade market in 2023, the organisation said after a successful awareness campaign in the UK brought ethically sourced products, such as chocolate, bananas and coffee, into...
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...
Archila comes to Fairtrade America with more than 15 years of experience working in a range of industries, from natural food to e-commerce retail and consumer electronics.
Sylvie Woltering-Valat, head of marketing at global cacaofruit expert Cabosse Naturals, explains the impact upcycling cacaofruit can make towards the journey of more sustainable supply chains.
Cocoa prices posted moderate losses on the New York and London ICE exchanges at the end of last week. May ICE NY cocoa (CCK23) closed down -51 (-1.80%), and May ICE London cocoa #7 (CAK23) closed down -26 (-1.20%) as a stronger dollar sparked long liquidation...
Empty supermarket shelves and stock shortages are becoming increasingly common in the UK, but the Fairtrade Foundation has issued a warning that everyday essentials including cocoa, bananas and coffee could be at risk of becoming ‘endangered’ due to climate...
The Singapore-based agribusiness said it remains ‘cautiously optimistic' about its prospects for 2023’ despite reporting 24.5% lower earnings of S$200.0 million (US$148.52m) for the year ending 31 December 2022.
Brazilian cocoa farmers are putting pressure on the government to suspend imports from Cote d’Ivoire over a fear the cargo will also include insects and weed seeds such as Striga weed, putting local cocoa farms at risk.
Nigeria’s cocoa exporters say they are also struggling to honour contracts, and many are suspending activities due to challenges, including a shortfall of cash to pay labourers and transporters.
Production of steviol glycosides extracted from stevia grown in Europe produces just 10% of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with sugar production, according a life cycle assessment.
Fairtrade and the International Trade Centre (ITC), the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations, have announced an expanded partnership aimed at helping farmers and agricultural workers to diversify and access new markets.
Conseil du Café-Cacao (CCC), Cote d’Ivoire’s cocoa regulator, has issued a statement that it expects the country’s cocoa exporters to fulfill their contracts despite supply chain issues at ports.
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 ...
Barry Callebaut Group has announced a major breakthrough in America after it has established a qualified health claim with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), stating that high-flavanol cocoa powder may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
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...
Cote d’Ivoire’s cocoa regulator, Conseil du Café Cacao (CCC), has initiated a scheme to distribute electronic cards to cocoa farmers to help track beans from farms to their export ports and ensure the growers are paid a guaranteed price for their produce.
Tony’s Open Chain, an initiative by Tony’s Chocolonely that invites other chocolate manufacturers to ramp up sustainability efforts in their own supply chains, has announced it is partnering with chocolate processor Baronie & Cémoi.
Digital payments are increasingly accepted in cocoa-growing origins and after decades of farmer-level cash transactions, cocoa farmers in Brazil and Ecuador were the first in Barry Callebaut’s supply chain to go digital with payments.
In a statement, Fairtrade said: ‘Risk assessment and collaboration with farmers and workers are cornerstones of sustainable supply chains and essential for evolving due diligence requirements’.
Consumer Reports, the independent, non-profit member organisation that allegedly tested and discovered harmful levels of cadmium and other harmful heavy metals in some chocolate products, has urged the producers to commit by Valentine's Day to reduce...
Weakness in global cocoa demand weighed on cocoa prices, barchart.com reported, as modest losses at the end of last week were posted with NY cocoa falling to a 1-month low and London cocoa falling to a five-week low.
Chocolate and cocoa supplier Blommer has upped its sustainability strategy by announcing a new partnership with Satelligence, a world leader in geospatial sustainability.
After slow start to back-end loaded year, Barry Callebaut reported its sales volume was down -5.1% for the first three months to the end of November 2022 and issued a new lower three-year guidance for growth, citing a return to pre-COVID demand levels.
In December, the EU provisionally agreed on a new regulation to ensure that supply chains are free from processes and products that cause deforestation, in an already volatile period, will the new legislation place more pressure on sustainability in the...
Cargill’s commitment to cocoa sustainability stretches back to 2000, when it began offering seminars to cocoa farmers. Kate Clancy has been with Cargill and working in sustainability since 2011, taking up her recent position of Group Sustainability Director,...
Despite numerous government and industry pledges to reduce deforestation in Ghana, forest loss in the West African country remains high, claims Mighty Earth.
Dutch ethical brand Tony’s Chocolonely claims its unique sourcing model has substantially reduces child labour in its cocoa supply chain – and has called for other companies to up their game.
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.
'Cocoa used to be in a fruit on a tree. Through technology we make it in a cell mass in a bottle...'
The National Confectioners Association (NCA) has issued a statement on the findings of a consumer report released in the United States that claims to have found dangerous amounts of heavy metals (lead and cadmium) in chocolate from popular brands including...
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.
