Demand for the sustainable oil is rising faster than supply for the first time as total sales of Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) reach more than 2.4 million metric tonnes (MT).
Nestlé aims to step up efforts to eradicate child labour in the cocoa supply chain, after an independent report indicated progress was being made, but more needed to be done.
The next several years will herald a surge in quality cocoa volumes from Central America creating opportunities for premium origin chocolates, says Lutheran World Relief.
Hachez, owned by the Danish Toms Group, will move part of its packaging production from Germany to Poland in an attempt to claw back some of its recent losses.
“The IEA does not accept state money, and all of our research is independent of corporate funding.”
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has said categorically it does not accept state money, following accusations by a Malaysian media outlet that the UK think tank is in bed with the Malaysian Palm Oil Council and the country’s government.
Ritter Sport has purchased land for a cocoa plantation in Nicaragua to eventually cover 30% of its cocoa needs and give it greater control of its supply.
Giving cocoa farming cooperatives shares in chocolate firms would improve livelihoods and encourage them to boost yields and quality, while giving chocolate manufacturers greater control of their supply chain, says Divine Chocolate.
Industry voices discuss whether raising suggested retail prices for chocolate could incentivise cocoa farmers to invest in farms, bring them out of poverty and keep the next generation growing cocoa.
Swedish-Danish oils and fats giant AarhusKarlshamn (AAK) has acquired Colombian company Fabrica Nacional de Grasas (FANAGRA), which specializes in vegetable oils and fats for the bakery segment.
ConfectioneryNews asks industry leaders if cocoa production will gradually move closer to the burgeoning chocolate markets of China and Brazil or whether West Africa will always be the king of cocoa.
Chocolate companies must know what truly constitutes cocoa child labor to be able to tackle the issue, according to the International Cocoa Initiative, which has unveiled a new strategy to combat the problem.
Industry fortune-telling of a large cocoa shortfall in 2020 was a shrewd way to secure supply at low prices, but the latest deficit forecasts are nowhere near as gloomy.
Futures exchange company CME Group has made a “strong commitment” in the cocoa market and plans a new contract to rival the IntercontinentalExchange Group (ICE).
Fairtrade certified cocoa farmers spend 36% of their premiums on increasing productivity and cocoa quality – far above Fairtrade International’s suggested 25% minimum, a report from the organization reveals.
The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) has estimated a cocoa surplus for the current crop year, but said the market would return to a small deficit next year.
Fair Trade USA and UTZ Certified are piloting a collaborative cocoa certification scheme that they say will reduce costs for farmers looking to get dual certification.
Manufacturers can increase the price of chocolate without fear of putting off consumers thus ensuring cocoa farmers are fairly paid, according to executive director of the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO).
A dozen of the world's biggest confectioners have signed up to the World Cocoa Foundation’s CocoaAction - something the organisation says will join the dots of existing sustainability programmes.
Food businesses and consumers don’t understand the impact emerging economies could face if pressure to source 100% sustainable palm oil builds too quickly, Marks & Spencer’s (M&S) sustainable development manager Fiona Wheatley claims.
World Environment Day - June 5 2014 - Driving action on climate change
Food manufacturers don’t understand the urgency of sustainability and need to act faster, but also communicate actions better with consumers, says the president of global NGO Food Tank.
Judges of the 2014 Most Innovative New Product Awards sorted through nearly 300 tasty treats to come up with the products they deem the best of the best.
Certifiers UTZ says a redraft of its code of conduct focuses on ‘prevention’ and monitoring of child labor on farms as well as including new measures around climate change.
Swiss business developer and Indonesian government signs Cargill Cocoa Promise, just as the firm announces initial cocoa processing tests at its first Asian plant in East Java.
By Han De Groot, executive director at UTZ Certified,
Chocolate could become a small and expensive niche product unless we all do more to help cocoa farmers escape poverty, writes UTZ Certified executive director Han De Groot.
UTZ Certified has begun a three-year initiative to develop a certified sustainable hazelnut supply in Turkey, which accounts for 70% of global production.
What is the future of food? Simple communication of complex advances will be crucial, as well as picking up the pace amid a global population boom to feed the world nutritiously and sustainably, according to FoodNavigator and NutraIngredients senior editors.
Chocolate makers may struggle to guarantee their entire cocoa supply comes from a sustainable source by 2020 targets, according to auditing service Intertek.
A US court has refused to dismiss a civil case against Hershey alleging complicity in illegal child labor and human trafficking on cocoa farms in West Africa.
US headquartered firm Spangler Candy says it will not move large volumes of its production back to the US from Mexico until the US government creates a domestic sugar regime that matches world prices.
Food and drink firms must be more proactive at assessing the sustainability of their products and ingredients, rather than reacting to market interest, according to Leatherhead Food Research expert Emma Gubisch.
NGO STOP THE TRAFFIK has accused Mondelēz International of lagging behind its rivals by attempting to self-regulate child trafficking in the cocoa sector.
Mars has committed to ending deforestation associated with its palm oil supply by the end of 2015, becoming the latest multinational to do so, alongside Unilever and Nestlé, among others.
As the United Nations held its 6th Annual Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) in New York, last week, Nestlé shared its efforts to encourage women worldwide to work in the marketplace and community.
Ecom and Armajaro maintain they did not fail to pay farmers for certified cocoa beans as Ecom’s trading license is suspended and a media hotchpotch of leaked documents and official positions ensues.
The Committee of European Sugar Users (CIUS) has called on EU member states and the Commission to take adequate measures to avoid sugar shortages and guarantee a sufficient stock level at the end of this business year.
Dispatches from State of the Industry Conference in Miami
Chocolate makers are well prepared for current cocoa deficit forecasts and will only be forced to raise prices if other inputs such transportation become costlier along with cocoa, according to the National Confectioners Association (NCA).
By Winnie Byanyima, executive director, Oxfam International
Food and drink companies can have a big influence over sustainability and ethical issues in their supply chains - and have the power to change them rapidly. One year on from Oxfam's first Behind the Brands sustainability scorecard, nine of the ten...
While the debate about deforestation due to palm oil rumbles on, new research has suggested that the release of methane from palm oil processing wastewater may also be a significant concern.
The chocolate industry should embrace certification to improve the livelihoods of farmers or risk losing a generation of cocoa growers, according to the head of a Fairtrade cocoa cooperative in the Ivory Coast.
Leading food and drink makers including Nestlé, Unilever and Coca-Cola have made good progress in the year since Oxfam released its first Behind the Brands sustainability scorecard – and only one company made no progress, according to the NGO.
