UTZ Certified has said it will aim for half of the world’s coffee, tea and cocoa to be produced sustainably by 2022, at a tenth anniversary seminar held in Amsterdam this week.
Barry Callebaut has announced that it will collaborate with Rainforest Alliance to train members from five farmer cooperatives in Cameroon to produce certified cocoa.
Urgent action was necessary to avoid the “bleak situation” of a serious global shortage of cocoa supplies within a decade, Fiona Dawson, president of Mars Chocolate UK, warned yesterday (June 12).
Twice as much UTZ certified cocoa was sold to producers in 2011 compared to the previous year as demand for sustainable cocoa soared in Germany, according to the recently published UTZ Certified Annual Report 2011.
Demand for cocoa is expected to climb 30% in the next 10 years creating a 25% shortage of current supply, according to North American cocoa processor and chocolate ingredients supplier Blommer Chocolate Company.
In light of current economic difficulties organic consumers are looking elsewhere for foods, and sustainable products resonate with their core values, according to the MD of Cert ID.
Barry Callebaut is investing €33.2 (CHF 40m) over the next 10 years in a cocoa sustainability initiative it hopes will boost farm productivity, increase quality and improve farmer livelihoods.
Greater ownership and management of the stevia supply chain has helped to build a system that is sustainable, responsible, and scalable, say leading global suppliers PureCircle and Cargill.
The incorporation of sustainability throughout the supply chain involves constant innovation, commitment from company leadership and a realization that it is an indefinite process, said Datamonitor.
A call from the Netherlands to end European import duty on sustainably produced palm oil has been welcomed by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The proposal is designed to encourage the uptake of sustainable palm oil by offsetting some of...
New global guidelines on packaging sustainability will help companies reduce their carbon footprint while boosting efficiency and spur more effective communication between players throughout the supply chain, said Unilever’s Nigel Bagley.
Political leadership is crucial to encouraging more sustainable food consumption, attendees at a Kellogg’s Breakfast Club meeting heard this month, with industry and civil society playing important roles too.
If doing your bit for the planet used to be a good way of earning a few brownie points, it is now increasingly becoming a condition of doing business with the nation’s biggest food retailers.
UK supermarket chain, Marks & Spencer, said its entire Swiss chocolate range will now feature a corn starch-based Plantic tray to hold the chocolates, while the outer-box, it added, is made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified cardboard.
Environmental management systems (EMS) can be a good tool for food processors looking to achieve the twin goals of improved productivity and corporate responsibility.
Nestlé has bolstered its sustainable palm oil commitments by partnering with The Forest Trust (TFT) in a move described as “game-changing” for the industry.
Sustainable packaging is a buzzword on the lips of consumers and industry players alike. But what is sustainable packaging and how far has the sector come in developing a road map towards this most elusive of goals?
Segregated sustainable palm oil will be available on the European market in the coming months, as IOI-Loders Crokaan and New Britain open dedicated refineries. The news marks the latest step towards changing the commodity supply chain.
Food companies must ensure their supply chains are transparent and socially responsible in order to prevent backlashes from consumer activists and non-governmental groups on Facebook or Twitter, which could have costly brand repercussions.
Ongoing research work has resulted in a new high density polypropylene (HDPP) wrap for confectionery that is economical in terms of material weight and heat sealing temperature, claims Moneta.
Factors such as ease of opening and resealable closures rather than sustainability of materials are driving upcoming packaging developments, claims Mondi Consumer Flexibles.
Global leaders across the packaging, food manufacturing and retail sectors have approved a set of common definitions and principles for sustainable packaging.
The Sustainable Consumption and Production round table has seen its membership swell in the 6 months since its launch, with nine new-comers announced this week.
Kraft Foods said its premium dark chocolate range is the first to carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, showing it contains cocoa from farms that meet the sustainability standard.
Chocolate maker Barry Callebaut’s decision to join the UTZ Certified sustainable cocoa programme will bolster efforts to scale up the project and help to get all parts of the supply chain on board, claims the non-profit group.
Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate is aiming to have 10,000 tonnes of UTZ-certified cocoa available for the market in 2010, as the first two Ivory Coast cooperatives achieve certification and others are expected to get there soon.
As environmental groups and consumers call for less waste and material use in candy wrappers, the confectionery industry still remains a key market for global packaging group Chesapeake as it contemplates life under a new financial structure.
Symrise has introduced a new manufacturing process to improve the quality, solubility and sustainability of its citrus oils for flavouring beverages, dairy and sweets.
Representatives of the cocoa industry from across the world have agreed on a framework to achieve a sustainable cocoa economy and plan to set up a sustainability fund to help benefit producers.
Food and beverage manufacturers are adopting more sustainable practices and seek to communicate these to consumers. But are well-meaning consumers confused by the many different green and ethical logos in use?
Food packaging companies must implement sustainable environmental strategies or risk income falls of more than 30 per cent by 2013 and nearly 50 per cent by 2018, warns a new study from the environmental think-tank World Resources Institute and management...
Efforts this month under the sustainability mantle by leading pod-to-pallet cocoa player Barry Callebaut include a 250,000 tree-planting project in Tanzania, and a tripling of grindings in Ivory Coast.
Children are becoming more aware of environmental issues from an earlier age, offering food and drinks manufacturers a chance to directly target them with ethical products, according to a new report.
Sustainability in the bakery industry will be the focus of an event
to take place next month in the UK, which aims to bring together
ingredients makers as well as manufacturers of finished products.
A recent survey of executive opinions on climate change found that
the majority regard it as a strategically important issue - but
more than a third said it is seldom or never considered when
actually developing strategy.
Nestlé, Bunge, Danisco, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and Tyson
Foods are the first food processors to join a programme to develop
global reporting standards on sustainability projects in the
sector.
