International chocolatiers are showing increased interest in Haitian cocoa, providing rural Haitians a livelihood in cocoa farming after the country’s 2010 Earthquake, says a Federation of farming cooperatives.
Mondelēz International plans to eventually source its entire cocoa supply from its Cocoa Life sustainability program, but says setting deadlines won't lead to meaningful impact on the ground.
We must follow the example of Sweden and bring together the two “very noisy” movements of workers' trade unions and Fairtrade, the CEO of Fairtrade International Harriet Lamb has said.
Mondelēz International has announced that certification body FLOCERT will join Havard University in verifying the chocolate firm’s cocoa sustainability program Cocoa Life.
Weak fourth quarter cocoa grinds in developed markets suggest that consumers have reacted negatively to wholesale chocolate price hikes from the major brands, according to an analyst.
The leading cocoa processors say they will support brand manufacturers to achieve fully sustainable cocoa, but decline to publicly set their own targets.
International Chocolate Award winner Chocolat Madagascar
International Chocolate Award winner Chocolaterie Robert says that fine chocolates, like fine wine, should process the main commodity freshly and at origin.
The Malaysian government says it is assessing what action it should take to address ‘no palm oil’ labels in France and Belgium, the legal grounds for which have come under scrutiny.
Food Empowerment Project urges transparency on child slavery
The Food Empowerment Project has called on US chocolate makers to list cocoa country of origin on pack so consumers can avoid brands that use cocoa from West Africa, where it claims unlawful child labor is common.
The chocolate industry and fairtrade movement are perpetuating poverty in Africa by relying on the continent for it’s agricultural assets rather than manufacturing potential, says Madagascan chocolate maker Madécasse.
The International Cocoa Organization has quelled media reports of a chocolate crisis in 2020 and says there are sufficient cocoa stocks for the next five years.
Cocoa production in Peru is set to rise 5% in calendar year 2014 and increases in planting will see the country become a key cocoa exporter in the coming years, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The European Cocoa Association (ECA) says mandatory origin labeling of cocoa products is pointless and could even lead to a 30% price hike in consumer chocolate prices.
Confectionery giants Mondelēz International, Nestlé and Mars must do far more to ensure women are not blocked from day-to-day commercial cocoa operations because of issues like land rights, according to a report commissioned by Oxfam.
The rising tide of food intolerances and allergic reactions bodes well for Pascha Chocolate, a brand that is founded on an allergen-free positioning. But co-founder Courtenay Vuchnich said the real message is purity, with allergen-free coming along for...
Certified cocoa bodies can co-exist with an international standard for sustainable cocoa that will be finalized in 2016, according to delegates at the World Cocoa Foundation’s partnership meeting.
Danish confectioner Toms says its Ekstra chocolate brand that only uses tray fermented cocoa has proved that an initiative to support farmers and improve bean quality can also turn a profit.
A voluntary framework for sustainable cocoa that could help align industry efforts will be introduced by the end of 2016, say those behind the standard.
Chocolate companies and certification organizations can get better productivity gains by improving underperforming cocoa farmers rather than rewarding top producers, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
Ebola is a huge humanitarian concern for the cocoa and chocolate industry, but contrary to some reports it is not yet having a major business impact for big chocolate players like Mars and Mondelēz.
Cocoa Ingredients supplier Transmar has called on cocoa and chocolate companies to make a donation to the Red Cross or Caritas to combat the spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa.
The chocolate industry’s biggest players will discuss how to move forward on cocoa sustainability at the World Cocoa Foundation’s meeting in Copenhagen next week. ConfectioneryNews will be there to bring you the latest.
RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil now accounts for 18% of the total global palm oil market, up from 15% last year, according to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
Nestlé and Kellogg have partnered with companies including General Mills and Unilever by joining Ceres' Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP).
Multinational chocolate companies are reaping billions in profits by keeping labor costs low, allowing human rights abuses to prosper on cocoa farms, according to an Oxfam campaigner.
Nicaragua holds potential as a future fine flavor cocoa origin as farmers shift from coffee to cocoa, but much work is needed to improve fermentation practices, according to Atlanta Chocolate’s founder.
Ethical consumption, and consumer willingness to pay more for ethical products, is motivated by a need to turn emotions about unethical practices into action, say researchers.
The increasing trend towards government investment partnerships with large multinationals threatens land rights, equality and the environment in Africa, an Oxfam report warns.
Mars has filed a patent for a method to process unfermented cocoa beans that it claims would maintain the final chocolate taste and allow for a more consistent flavor.
Hershey has partnered with its supplier Cargill to bring its cocoa sustainability program to the Côte d’Ivoire, helping farmers achieve UTZ certification.
A US appeal court has ruled that Nestlé, ADM and Cargill can be held to account for aiding and abetting child slavery in Côte D’Ivoire and has allowed a US lawsuit to proceed.
Consumers in producer countries are increasingly interested in Fairtrade certified products as a means of supporting their domestic economy, according to Fairtrade International’s annual report.
Buying certified cocoa only from third party organizations such as UTZ Certified is now an essential part of doing business for all chocolate companies, not just the big ones, says Scandinavian confectioner Cloetta.
