As VP of Corporate Communications at Barry Callebaut Group, Christiaan Prins was at the forefront of many of the recent sustainability challenges in the cocoa sector. He has now established a new strategic communications consultancy, theLOOP Communications,...
Cocoa production is decisively linked with women, and sustainable value chains are, too. However, how will their roles differ with the upcoming EU legislation on deforestation, and in a broader issue, will it threaten cocoa and chocolate exporters?
French cocoa supplier the Touton Group said it is adjusting its business strategy to meet upcoming sustainability and compliance requirements with a fresh investment in climate-friendly solutions and a commitment to strengthen its collaboration with partner...
With 95% of exported beans classed as ‘fine flavour cacao’, Colombia's reputation in the world of chocolate is unparalleled, and after a successful showing at Seattle’s NorthWest Chocolate Festival by a quartet of artisanal companies, the word is...
The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) marked half a century of commitment to sustainable growth in the cocoa sector with a special celebration held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, where it is now headquartered.
The ingredients specialist for the bakery, sweet treats and chocolate industry revealed its industry trends and consumer preferences at its Taste Tomorrow conference.
To mark World Cocoa & Chocolate Day (which took place on 1 October) Magnum ice cream has released more details on its female empowerment programme, upscaling the work to reach thousands of additional women throughout cocoa communities in the West...
The Women in Cocoa & Chocolate Network (WINCC) has announced an especially convened online session with Colombia’s Cordillera Chocolate to explore how the upcoming EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) could provide opportunities for women empowerment...
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...
Cargill, one of the world’s largest cocoa suppliers, has been ordered by a Brazilian court to pay 600,000 reais ($120,185) as indemnity for allegedly buying cocoa from farms where child labour or forced work has been identified.
For a long time, there has been no commonly agreed way of assessing and communicating the quality of cacao, the seed from which stems cocoa and chocolate. Now, however, a new initiative has been unveiled that will aim to do just that, with contributions...
UK-based drinking chocolate brand, Cocoa Canopy, has announced a new format for its 900g foodservice packs across all five of its varieties, supplying the sector with a product they can display all year round.
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.
Cocoa-free chocolate pioneers WNWN Food Labs is collaborating with Fortnum & Mason in a series of sustainability-led activations, masterclasses, talks, and dinners.
Mars incorporated has announced it will cut carbon in half – or by roughly 15 million metric tons – by 2030 across its full value chain and will continue investing in climate action despite a weaker global economy.
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...
CoLab Tech is is designed to build a venture pipeline of early-stage snack brands focused on ideas that address tech-driven processes, sustainability and other priority areas for the Oreo maker.
Recent international research has revealed that professionals in the food packaging industry are addressing demands for greater sustainability and consumer preference with innovative approaches to material choice and the processes involved in production.
International soft commodities exchange has announced it has launched a new Traceability Service to support cocoa suppliers and other commodities, such as coffee and sugar, affected by the EU Deforestation Regulation.
Recognition of its B2B division reaffirms Grupo Nutresa's commitment to globalisation and the purpose of brands such as Cordillera in developing businesses with a sustainable vision.
In the first major announcement since Peter Feld took over the reins as chief executive officer from Peter Boone in April, the Group said it is to invest CHF 500 million ($563 million) over the next two years in core customer areas and in efficiency measures...
The world is currently fraught with uncertainties, ranging from economic and political instability to the ongoing threat of climate change and supply chain shortages. Along with the ever-present shadow of Covid-19, these factors are impacting people’s...
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.
The rebranding includes a stylish new logo and strapline - ‘The Modern Chocolatier’ - and the business has also embraced a brighter, bolder colour palette across the range while maintaining its signature gold foiling detail.
CAOBISCO (the Association of Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery Industries of Europe) has appointed Alicia Bellon Moral as its new Sustainability Manager.
Transparency is a defining feature of the craft chocolate industry. However, with the need for benchmarks or regulations for this budding industry, entrepreneurs and stakeholders interpret and apply transparency differently, new research published in...
Bitzel’s Chocolate says it is offering a ‘Willy Wonka-Style Experience’ at its new 7,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, when it opens its doors in Suwanee, Georgia, USA, in the autumn.
Representatives from many of the major chocolate companies and cocoa suppliers are due to travel to Amsterdam at the end of October to take part in the Sustainable Commodities and Landscapes Forum.
A coalition of campaigners fighting to end environmental and human rights abuses in the cocoa sector has targeted coffee chain Starbucks to come clean on where it sources the ingredients for its chocolate products.
A new report shows that food environments, from promotional offers to the placement of food in shops, can influence consumers to make less healthy and less sustainable food choices.
Vegan chocolate brand Moo Free has announced a deal with leading packaging machinery manufacturer ULMA Packaging to produce more sustainable wrappers across its portfolio.
Packaging is the shop window for your brand, the primary interface through which food and beverage manufacturers interact with consumers. Packaging innovation, therefore, cannot be taken lightly. How are R&D teams leveraging packaging science to develop...
The Swiss company said it is tripling the amount invested in the last four years in its chocolate and biscuit operations in Brazil to 2.7bn reais ($550.8 million) for the next three years.
A new initiative to promote innovation in Colombia’s cocoa sector has been launched with grants and awards for projects that promote peace building and forest conversation.
As new research reveals that deforestation in the world’s largest cocoa-growing country could be far more worse than originally predicted, a White Paper published by Barry Callebaut looks how to tackle productivity on cocoa farms to end the cycle of unsustainable...
Confectionery giant Ferrero has released its latest annual Cocoa Charter Progress Report, claiming ‘significant progress in the company’s efforts to ‘source cocoa responsibly.’
Nestle has voiced support for the continued use of palm oil in the food and beverage sector amid intense debate surrounding the recently-enacted EU Deforestation Regulation, while also striving to guarantee its supply chain sustainability using advance...
Alternative dairy products, by their very nature, are more sustainable in one crucial aspect compared to dairy: they cut out the animal from the production process. However, there are other ways to maximise sustainability. How central should sustainability...
Nestlé has published a progress report on its Income Accelerator Program, launched at the beginning of 2022 in Cote d’Ivoire, to support cocoa farmers in Côte d'Ivoire and incentivise them into greater productivity.
The palm oil industry in Malaysia is calling for the European Union (EU) to provide more clarity over how it will define ‘high-risk’ countries under its recently-approved Deforestation Regulation, stressing that current scientific data has already demonstrated...
The Dutch impact company with a mission to make chocolate 100% ‘slave free’ has launched a munchable snack range that it claims ends exploitation in chocolate by ensuring cocoa farmers are paid fairly.
Sustainable chocolate brand GoodSAM Foods has announced a strong first half of 2023 with a record-breaking first and second quarter, driven by an expanded retail reach into US, and industry awards recognition, while exceeding fundraising goals and sales.
Despite high inflation, the majority of consumers are happy to pay more for products with a sustainable backstory. So there’s money to be made from environmental credentials, which makes falling into the greenwashing trap a bigger temptation than ever...
Olam food ingredients (ofi) has introduced two new circular biomass boilers at its cocoa processing factories in the Netherlands and Germany, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
"We're not just passively investing in promising sustainable food technology startups," said co-founder and general partner Jennifer Stojkovic in a press release. "Our team is fully committed to leveraging our expertise, powerful network,...
The importance to the cocoa sector of female farmers has been increasingly recognised in the past decade with the introduction of specific support for female-led Fairtrade cooperatives in West Africa, along with initiatives from other actors in different...
London-based sustainable chocolate brand Love Cocoa’s mission to drive positive change within the chocolate industry has received an added boost after recognition as a certified B Corporation, achieving an overall B Impact Score of 88.3.
The price of cocoa, and therefore chocolate, may be rising but the demand for chocolate from consumers also shows no signs of abating as the industry celebrates this year’s World Chocolate Day (7 July) with some nutty friends.
