I have spent close to 30 years working on the ground in West Africa alongside rural communities, including cocoa-growing communities. In that time, I have learned a lot about why deforestation happens in the first place and the most effective ways we...
Colombian B2B sustainable chocolate brand Cordillera Chocolates is launching a long-term strategy to develop the roles of female cocoa growers with a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship and leadership.
Tony’s Chocolonely has announced it has implemented a new legal ‘golden share’ mechanism to indefinitely protect its mission of producing ‘slave free chocolate’ – regardless of shareholder structure.
Regular consumption of cocoa and red berries may prevent or postpone cardiovascular morbidity associated with aging by modulating intestinal microbiota, according to a team of Spanish researchers.
Colombian sustainable B4B (business-for-business) chocolate manufacturer, Luker Chocolate has announced that it has been certified as a B Corporation, highlighting its dedication to driving transformational change in the cocoa industry.
In a bid to create a more “memorable” identity, Israeli food-tech company DouxMatok is rebranding to share the same “single, powerful” name as its signature sugar reduction product – Incredo – which it plans to further develop and commercialize with the...
As an experiment, I turned to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT* to obtain an outside eye on the current state of the cocoa industry. I was curious to know if a computer algorithm could come up with credible answers to the main issues that...
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new guideline on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS), which recommends against the use of NSS to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
Among other ambitious targets, a goal of the TSIRO Alliance in Madagascar is to 'conserve biodiverse ecosystems'. It’s a tall order, but one that the programme is uniquely designed to meet.
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.
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’.
Nestlé officially inaugurated its Lausanne, Switzerland-based research institute, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, to improve agricultural sustainability throughout its supply chain.
Barry Callebaut Group has announced significant changes to its Forever Chocolate sustainability programme adding additional targets and sharpening existing ones as it looks to make sustainable chocolate the norm beyond 2025.
The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) has announced the reappointment of Michel Arrion as Executive Director for a period of 5 years until 30 September 2028.
ConfectioneryNews was invited by Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest cocoa supplier and chocolate manufacturer with a significant operational presence in Cote d’Ivoire, to report on how the country is adapting to new challenges in its supply chain.
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...
The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) has reported cocoa prices at the halfway mark of the year (2022-23) of the first position of cocoa futures were broadly higher year-on-year on both the London and New York markets.
In the week that the European Parliament adopted a new law to fight global deforestation and ahead of Earth Day (22 April), Satelligence has announced results of a collaboration with Swedish sustainable ingredients supplier AAK on helping it verify its...
The European Parliament has formally adopted a new law to fight global deforestation with cocoa, coffee, palm-oil, soya, wood, rubber, charcoal printed paper products and cattle covered by the new rules, which obliges companies to ensure products sold...
The European Cocoa Organisation (ECA) has reported that 375,375 tonnes of raw cocoa were ground for the 1st quarter of 2023. This corresponds to a slight increase of 0.5% compared to the same quarter of the previous year.
Cocoa production in Colombia has increased by over 60% in the past 12 years and according to the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), in 2020, Colombia ranked 10th in the world in terms of annual cocoa production.
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...
Europe’s largest sweets and snacks trade fair, ISM 2023, returns to Cologne, Germany at the weekend, boasting more than 1,300 exhibitors from 70 countries presenting major trends in the international confectionery industry.
As reported in CN earlier this month, Amsterdam’s Chocoa Conference will now take place from 7 to 11 February 2024 in cooperation with the World Cocoa Foundation’s Partnership Meeting, which will run from 6 to 7 February in the same venue (Beurs van Berlage)...
The Barry Callebaut Group has moved into the heart of New York City with the official inauguration of its latest Chocolate Academy, which will become a centre of excellence for chefs and artisans to develop and showcase their confectionery talent and...
Premium sustainability chocolate brand MIA (Made in Africa) has carved out a unique reputation for itself since launching several years ago in Madagascar, crafting bean-to-bar products in cocoa-growing communities.
Olam Group Limited has published its 2022 Annual Report, which highlights its financial and non-financial achievements across three comprehensive components: Strategic Report, Governance Report and Financial Report.
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.
