Cocoa

Pic: CN

Commodities

Cocoa prices pulled down by ICE inventories

By Anthony Myers

After consolidating recent gains, cocoa prices posted modest losses earlier this week after an increase in cocoa inventories weighed on prices.

Christine McGrath announced as new WCF chair. Pic: Mondelēz International

Appointments

Christine McGrath takes over from Boone as new WCF Chair

By Anthony Myers

The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) has announced Christine McGrath, SVP and Chief Impact & Sustainability Officer at Mondelēz International, as its new chair, along with two new board officers.

The two West African countries produce over 60% of the world's cocoa Pic: Getty Images

Commodities

Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana await approval for IMF loans

By Anthony Myers

Both countries’ economies have been ‘hit hard by the triple shock of the Covid-19 pandemic, global financial tightening, and adverse spillovers from Russia’s war in Ukraine’.

Pic: GettyImages

Commodities

US Fair Sugar coalition pushes for reform in 2023 Farm Bill

By Anthony Myers

The Alliance for Fair Sugar Policy (AFSP), a broad-based coalition advocating to modernise the outdated US sugar programme established by Congress more than 80 years ago, hosted a recent panel discussion on opportunities to reform the legislation in the...

Naturally occurring sugars and 'free' sugars have a profoundly different effect on health. Source: Julia_Sudnitskaya/Getty Images

The difference between natural and ‘free’ sugars

By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

We all know that eating fruit is better for us than eating doughnuts. One is essential to keep us healthy, the other, perhaps, nearly essential to avoid. However, both doughnuts and most fruits are high in sugar, an ingredient widely considered to lead...

Peter Boone has left his post as Barry Callebaut CEO for personal reasons. Pic: Barry Callebaut

Breaking

Peter Boone resigns as Barry Callebaut CEO

By Anthony Myers

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.

Pic: GettyImages

Sustainabilty

New ‘Scorecard’ questions chocolate companies’ sustainability efforts

By Anthony Myers

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...

Gerald Manley. Pic: ofi

Business

Gerard Manley announces retirement as ofi Cocoa CEO

By Anthony Myers

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.

The Olam Group reported 'steady 2022 performance'. Pic: Olam Group

Olam Group remains optimistic, despite drop in earnings

By Anthony Myers

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.