Three European platforms for sustainable cocoa, The German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (GISCO), the Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa (SWISSCO) and the Belgian platform Beyond Chocolate have signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)’ to instigate...
The global ingredients specialist has opened subsidiaries in Kenya, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Nigeria to cement customer relationships and localise production using indigenous raw materials, which will lessen the continent’s reliance on food imports and...
Chocolate brand MIA, short for Made In Africa, says it has increased its social and environmental impact in 2019 due to larger volumes of chocolate produced and the transition to locally pressed Madagascan cocoa butter.
From September this year, Rainforest Alliance will start rolling out the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard worldwide. How does this newly enhanced standard set itself apart in the field? FoodNavigator speaks with the NGO’s director of standards and...
The Rainforest Alliance has said it is ready to fully support Nestlé in its mission to improve sustainability in the cocoa sector, after it was announced the confectionery giant and maker of KitKats is to expand its in-house Cocoa Plan certification scheme...
Megan Giller of a Chocolate Noise blog has been running a series of online panel discussions under the banner ‘Race and Privilege in Craft Chocolate’ throughout June – and she ends her current series with a session on accountability this Friday (June...
Endangered Species Chocolate (ESC) has announced it is launching its first plant-based milk chocolate chip, following success of its Oat Milk Chocolate Bars earlier this year.
The Fairtrade Foundation has issued a statement in response to Nestlé’s surprise announcement that it is planning to stop using Fairtrade cocoa and sugar in its chocolate bars, including the top-selling KitKats, and use Rainforest Alliance certification...
Cargill has reported it has made significant progress in achieving sustainable impact on land use, climate, water, farmer prosperity and human rights in the run up to the UN’s 2030 target.
Chocolate and confectionery maker The Hershey Company reached a milestone in its CSR strategy in January when 100% of the cocoa it sources was certified sustainable. FoodNavigator speaks to the company’s director of global sustainability and social impact...
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), an EU-funded institution established to support smallholder farmers in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific, has published results of a project carried out with blockchain specialists Gaiachain,...
Ahead of the United Nations’ World Day Against Child Labour, the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) has released findings of its 2019 Annual Report, which will be published to mark the day on 12 June.
Fuji Oil Holdings, along with subsidiary Blommer Chocolate Company, has announced two global initiatives as part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, as well as signing up to the Jacobs Foundation education initiative.
Divine Chocolate has announced that Sophi Tranchell, its first MD and also its CEO, has left her role after 21 years with the Fairtrade company, while a new majority shareholder is also announced.
Jeff King, Hershey’s senior director of global sustainability and social impact, is the person responsible for the company’s Cocoa For Good sustainability program, which has committed to 100% direct-sourced cocoa in West Africa by 2025. He talks to ConfectioneryNews...
An intensive programme for Fairtrade cocoa cooperatives in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, is showing encouraging signs, according to initial results released by the organization.
Organic ingredient supplier Ciranda has been at the forefront of healthy solutions for the past quarter of a century, while supporting sustainable agriculture practices and the livelihood of farmers around the world.
Following the release of the confectionery giant’s Snacking Made Right Report, Pieters discusses life in lockdown, how the group is looking after its farmers on the ground and why 100% sustainable cocoa is achievable.
A major new landscape study commissioned into the cocoa sector in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire by Mondelēz International’s Cocoa Life in conjunction with The Fairtrade Foundation has discovered that at least 800,000 farmers are being targeted more than...
Marika van Santvoort, founder of Pacha de Cacao, explains to ConfectioneryNews the benefits of cacao juice, not only for health-conscious western consumers, but also as potential extra revenue for cocoa farmers who are struggling on low incomes.
Smallholder farmers in Africa are particularly at risk amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Julie Greene, VP, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at agri-food giant Olam.
Eliminating deforestation in cocoa-producing regions such a Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire is a challenge, and one that requires more resources, says Violaine Berger, senior program manager of the Cocoa & Forests Initiative at the Sustainable Trade Initiative.
Multi-national food company has published its 2019 Snacking Made Right Report, highlighting the company’s significant progress towards achieving its 2025 sustainable and mindful snacking goals.
Fairtrade says the funding is in place to support farmers, workers and communities affected by the coronavirus pandemic to meet long-term and short-term needs.
An official report funded by the US Department of Labor and due out at the end of June assessing progress in reducing child labor in cocoa production in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana has found the proportion of children engaged in dangerous child labor in cocoa...
Breakout chocolate brand Prodigy has announced two new bars: Coconut Cahoots and Peanut & Caramel Cahoots, along with the slogan: ‘Eat No Evil’, to reinforce its clean-eating, plant-based products with plastic-free packaging.
Japan is still in the early adoption phase of sustainable confectionery, but there is plenty of potential for it to go mainstream, according to consumer research from Barry Callebaut.
Cacao-Trace, Belcolade & Puratos’ sustainable cocoa sourcing programme, is ensuring its farmers are given financial help and practical support to hep fight COVID-19 in their communities.
Indonesia has seen export volumes for its palm oil, its top agricultural commodity, drop drastically since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, with even bigger slumps set to come.
The review, developed in partnership with the Swiss Cocoa Platform and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), examines evidence of the impact of unexpected shocks that either increased or decreased incomes, as well as the effects of...
Fresh initiative backed by the Ivorian government and chocolate industry aims to jointly tackle root causes of child labor and improve education standards in West African country.
‘Choco-Evangelist’ Ynzo van Zanten delivered an upbeat session during a livestream on YouTube answering questions about the brand's mission, its history, problems in the cocoa industry, and the secret to how Tony's makes its premium and ethical...
Fairtrade producer organisations stand to lose around $380m a year in Fairtrade Premium if they are unable to sell their products, organioation has warned.
Fairtrade International has announced sales of Fairtrade certified cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire in the fourth quarter of 2019 increased farmers’ earnings by approximately $15.1m compared to non-Fairtrade cocoa.
Brands that make many of our favorite Easter treats, are mobilizing to help fight the COVID-19 virus in cocoa farming communities and are staying focused on continued investment in the long-term to provide them with sustainable livelihoods.
Swiss cocoa supplier says it is complying with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, and government directives on COVID-19, as watchdog releases a COVID-19 response for Cocoa Farmers.
International Advocacy Groups Publish Joint Consumer Purchasing Guide just in time for the Easter Holiday, with Dutch brand Tony’s Chocolonely coming out top.
To truly understand and implement an effective sustainability initiative, it’s critical to evaluate the social, environmental and economic impacts of production.
The Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) is a commitment made by the world’s largest cocoa producing countries - Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana - civil society and leading chocolate companies to end deforestation and restore forests. Like many other big cocoa...
Addressing deforestation linked to cocoa is part of Nestlé's ambition to transform its agricultural supply chain, making it more climate-friendly and resilient, the company said in its new Cocoa & Forests Initiative report that highlights key...
Confectionery expert Andy Baxendale, aka The Sweet Consultant, has partnered with Colombian chocolate producer Luker to expand the supply of its products into the UK.
Cargill and Imaflora not-for-profit organisation have launched two projects supporting cocoa producers in Pará, to increase their productivity through environmental conservation and good agricultural practices.
Cocoa and chocolate in the Asia Pacific is in a state of ‘regional imbalance’, according to chocolate giant Mars, which has also revealed how it plans to use sustainability as a means to tackle challenges in Asia.
Organizers Barry Callebaut release statement postponing this year’s event that was due to be held in Davos, Switzerland, with plans to reschedule in June 2021.
Love Cocoa, the British chocolate brand created by James Cadbury, the great-great-great Grandson of John Cadbury, has launched two luxury Easter eggs that will be available from online retailer Ocado.
More than 100 producers from almost 60 countries have entered The Academy of Chocolate Awards, marking the continued growth of chocolate producers from across the world, including Bali, Estonia, Uzbekistan and Zambia.
