The Cocoa and Forests Initiative (CFI) is set to present updates on the industry’s commitment to eliminate deforestation and restore degraded forests at COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which will be held this year in Dubai from 30...
Cocoa prices in New York reached a record high of $4,000 per tonne at the close of play last week – with some analysts predicting a supply shortfall in the 2023-24 season, which could push up prices even higher over the coming months.
The VOICE network, publishers of the influential Cocoa Barometer, which calls to account the chocolate industry on child labour and other sustainability issues, has issued a statement following reports in ConfectioneryNews and other media, on allegations...
The African Platform for Sustainable Cocoa, which brings together civil society cocoa platforms from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, has issued a statement alleging the cocoa industry is refusing to pay at the current market price plus the Living Income...
Cocoa prices climbed this week as the result of stronger global cocoa demand, with barchart.com reporting that Gepex, an exporter group that includes six of the world's biggest cocoa grinders, said that its Q3 cocoa processing was 183,731 MT, up...
Five million, mainly small-scale farmers produce 75% of the world’s cocoa, and earning a living income has become the key objective for the cocoa sector. Still, despite various initiatives, it hasn’t changed core business practices so far. According to...
The country’s cocoa production sector is under serious threat with climate change, disease, moribund farms, overaged tree stock, an aging farmer population, and an acute labour shortage, just some of the issues affecting productivity … that is why we...
The Cocoa and Forests Initiative (CFI), a collaboration between governments and chocolate companies, has announced significant strides toward its mission of eradicating deforestation in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana.
Platform for Sustainable Cocoa in Cote d'Ivoire (PICD) and the Ghana Civil-society Cocoa Platform (GCCP) are calling on their respective governments to raise the price of beans for the important 2023-24 season to make sure farmers can receive a living...
Ghana has announced a state-guaranteed cocoa price paid to its farmers of 20,943 Ghana cedi ($1,837) per tonne for the new 2023-2024 season – an increase of more than 63% in a bid to boost their income and prevent beans from being smuggled to neighbouring...
The Swiss-Ghanaian start-up Koa, whose aim is to transform the cocoa industry by upcycling parts of the cocoa fruit that are usually overlooked, has inaugurated Africa's largest cocoa fruit factory.
Cocoa traded on ICE Futures in New York hit a 12-year high of $3,640.50 per tonne on Wednesday (30 August), as analysts reacted to a consumer surge in chocolate, as well as the adverse impacts of the El Niño weather phenomenon on West Africa’s cocoa crop.
Sustainable chocolate brand MIA, short for made in Africa, says its new Ghana Gold bars have been recognised with two Great Taste Awards, one of the world's largest and most trusted food and drink accreditation schemes.
Recent bad weather in West Africa has threatened cocoa production resulting in record-high prices for the commodity on the Intercontinental Exchange in London.
Fairtrade has launched a new programme to support its certified Ivorian and Ghanaian cocoa cooperatives to strengthen prevention and remediation of child labour and forced labour.
The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) has widened its deficit forecast for the current 2022-23 (October-September) season to 142,000 tonnes, up from 60,000 tonnes previously.
Charity calls for ‘Big Chocolate’ to pay more to Ghana’s cocoa farmers after it revealed that their net incomes have fallen on average by 16% since 2020, with women’s incomes falling by nearly 22%.
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’.
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.
The Cocoa Coalition, a multi-stakeholder initiative set up to prevent and address child labour and forced labour in the cocoa sector, has released a new position paper supporting the objectives of the proposed EU Regulation on Prohibiting Products Made...
Weakness in global cocoa demand weighed on cocoa prices, barchart.com reported, as modest losses at the end of last week were posted with NY cocoa falling to a 1-month low and London cocoa falling to a five-week low.
Despite numerous government and industry pledges to reduce deforestation in Ghana, forest loss in the West African country remains high, claims Mighty Earth.
Recent flash flooding in West and Central Africa has hindered Cote d’Ivoire’s transportation of cocoa beans from the farms to the ports and could be the reason for the reduction of cocoa arrivals seen during the first few weeks of the main 2022-23 season...
Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, the world’s largest cocoa-growing countries, have stepped up their pressure on the chocolate industry by threatening to punish companies visiting their farms to estimate harvests, which is a key factor in forecasting the price...
Analysts and traders are keeping a close eye on an ongoing strike by dock workers at San Pedro, one of Cote d’Ivoire’s two main ports, while ICE NY cocoa closed up +72 (+2.96%), and December ICE London cocoa closed up +9 (+0.44%).
The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) wrapped up a successful Partnership Meeting, despite the absence of the two main producer countries, with new commitments announced on making cocoa supply chains more sustainable and achieving more impact in helping farmers...
The International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) 2021 annual report is the first in the organisation's new five-year strategy with the overarching aim to cover 100% of the cocoa supply chain in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana with systems that prevent and address...
Ghana Gold, a new chocolate bar range from ethical bean-to-bar chocolate company MIA (Made in Africa), has struck a deal with Empire Bespoke Foods to import and distribute the product throughout the UK.
Ghanaian cocoa processing company Niche Cocoa has announced a major investment in the US with the opening of a manufacturing facility in Franklin, Wisconsin.
Salon du Chocolat is set to open its doors to the public and trade at the Parc des Expositions, Porte de Versailles in Paris, when it returns to its usual slot from 28 October to 1 November.
The Ghanaian Government has increased the producer price of Cocoa by 21% for the 2022-2023 crop season – and said it will be ready for new EU rules on cocoa imports.
Mars Wrigley has declared that from 2023, 100% of the cocoa purchased for its direct factory operations in Europe will be verified as ‘responsibly sourced cocoa’.
ofi (olam food ingredients), a global leader in naturally good food and beverage ingredients, says it has substantially advanced towards the climate goals stated in its Cocoa Compass sustainability report – but issued a call for the EU to work with other...
Mars Wrigley has claimed significant progress on its Women for Change programme with CARE and key deforestation-free milestones with the release this month of its Cocoa for Generations sustainability report.
In this exclusive op-ed for ConfectioneryNews by Brett Beach, Co-founder of sustainable chocolate brand Made in Africa (MIA), and Dr Kristy Leissle, a member of CN’s editorial board and the author of numerous books and articles on cocoa and industry politics,...
The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) has forecast a 230,000-tonne global cocoa deficit in the current 2021-22 season (October-September), up from a previous projection of a deficit of 174,000 tonnes.
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, has doubled down on the country’s pledge to increase its cocoa production from the present 340,000 tonnes to 500,000 tonnes by 2024.
Cocoa prices closed up on Wednesday (10 August) +35 (+1.48%), and September ICE London cocoa #7 (CAU22) closed up +3 (+0.17%) after support from the sharp sell-off in the dollar, which supported commodity prices in general.
The two world's biggest cocoa producers, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, have announced they are raising the price of their beans to help farmers earn a decent living income.
Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, along with the 35 companies in the Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI), have reported progress made towards ending deforestation in the two cocoa-growing countries.
Swiss-Ghanaian start-up Koa has secured two major investments to scale up its impact in the cocoa sector by successfully completing its Series A round raising a total of $4.7 million in equity – and a $3.5 million investment from climate adaptation and...
MIA, short for Made in Africa, is branching out from its base in Madagascar to work with cocoa farmers in West Africa. Co-founder Brett Beach tells ConfectioneryNews the reasons behind the move – and also provides an update on the situation on the island...
