Female cocoa farmers are key to accelerating cocoa sustainability, but lack the access to finance and land rights that men have, says a new network for women in the cocoa supply chain, which includes Hershey's CEO.
Cocoa trader Touton has partnered with Ghanaian government agency Cocobod to curb deforestation in Ghana, where cocoa is the main driver of 3.2% of protected forest loss each year.
Nestlé’s child labor prevention system in its Cocoa Plan will cover around half of the company’s supply by 2020, but full scale up may never be possible, says its public affairs director.
Consumers are demanding pollution-free food sold in biodegradable or recycled packaging. Trailblazing brands are already responding to the trend – and “perceived polluters will be forced to follow”, says Mintel.
Confectionery containing fair trade or organic cocoa and sugar carry one of the highest risks of adulteration and mislabelling in the food & drink industry, according to Ecovia Intelligence.
Traceability from farm to first purchase, common definitions of protected areas and paying farmers a living income are three ways stakeholders say can help end cocoa-driven deforestation in West Africa, which is threatening endangered species.
‘One of the most difficult issues associated with sustainable sourcing is whether companies should adopt third party standards or develop in-house schemes.
Tony’s Chocolonely this month achieved national distribution across the US in natural and specialty channels and is now aiming to enter conventional retail.
Agricultural commodities core to Europe’s confectionery industry such as sugarcane, hazelnuts and almonds are vulnerable to water scarcity in the near term, according to an EU-funded report.
From initiating portion control advice on biscuits, alternative green packaging for Nestlé Waters and promoting Nespresso’s sustainability efforts - HENRi@Nestlé celebrates its one-year anniversary this month.
Cocoa production is thriving in the Democratic Republic of Congo, presenting an opportunity for the chocolate industry, say stakeholders working in the country.
Confectionery companies should collectively push suppliers to make traceability the norm rather than a premium service, as it is the only way to guarantee sustainable cocoa and palm oil, says The Forest Trust.
Sales of cocoa-based products featuring a sustainable trade and farming label, such as Fairtrade, is set to be valued at $8.9bn in 2017, Euromonitor said.
EU confectionery trade body Caobisco is encouraging its members to set a date by which they will source all cocoa and palm oil from a certified sustainable source.
Mondelēz’s sustainability program, Cocoa Life, will collaborate with governments in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana to reduce deforestation in the cocoa supply chain.
Nestlé Cocoa Plan has come out top in a report by Stop the Traffik and Baptist World Aid Australia assessing the progress made by chocolate companies and certification organizations in tackling child labor in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
Divine Chocolate is expanding its export portfolio announcing new listings with existing customers Waitrose and BP Connect in the UK, and Walgreens in the US.
A Cayman Islands-registered company allegedly tied to deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon has lost a libel case against ConfectioneryNews and its publisher.
A group of NGOs, including the VOICE Network, Solidaridad and Oxfam, are encouraging chocolate makers to set a minimum price for cocoa and to eventually move to a flexible premium system.
Orkla Confectionery & Snacks Sweden has removed palm oil from 98% of its products, meaning 1,500 fewer tons of saturated fat in consumers' food. But what were the technical challenges and how was it received by fellow members of the Roundtable...
Barry Callebaut is one step closer to its goal of sourcing fully sustainable cocoa by 2025 as its chocolate cups and decorations making subsidiary, Mona Lisa, has joined the Cocoa Horizons program.
Today the European Parliament voted to implement tough new palm oil resolutions, which if enforced would see its elimination from use in biofuels and enforce stricter regulations on production and certification throughout the continent.
Willie’s Cacao's owner talks about the benefits of direct trade with single cocoa estates and tips Nicaragua and Colombia as up and coming cocoa origins.
Chocolate Tree, co-founded by Alastair and Friederike Gower, has launched a £30k ($37k) crowdfunding campaign to transform an East Lothian farmhouse into a chocolate factory, employing 18 staff.
US chocolate maker Hershey has launched Sourcemap for consumers to explore the origins of its agricultural ingredients, such as cocoa beans, sunflower oil and vanilla.
From organic food to eco-labels, sustainable sourced ingredients and traceability, the UK Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has published a set of manufacturer guidelines to optimize their packaging systems to drive the sustainability agenda.
