With the new European Union Deforestation Regulation on the horizon, should the industry adopt a more responsible approach to procurement when sourcing cocoa beans and other ingredients? Sign up for our free webinar to discuss!
An investigation by Initiatives for Community Development and Forest Conservation (IDEF) has revealed that some cocoa beans exported from Cote d'Ivoire to the EU originate from deforested land in neighboring Liberia.
Against a backdrop of cocoa topping $11,000 per metric ton on the futures market for the first time last week, Oxfam says its experts will be highlighting the discrepancies in farmgate price at this week’s World Cocoa Conference (WCC) in Brussels (21-24...
In 2021, the European Union opened up a formal investigation into Mondelēz International for allegedly restricting parallel trade. What is parallel trade? And how can it harm competition?
Nestlé shareholders rejected a resolution at its annual general meeting (AGM) on Thursday (19 April) demanding the KitKat maker reduce its reliance on unhealthy products.
The Rainforest Alliance will outline its plans for greater collaboration in the chocolate industry at the World Cocoa Conference in Brussels next week.
The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is facing major pushback from ministers and trade organisations within Europe, alongside continued pressure from palm oil producer nations in Asia, casting doubt on hopes for a smooth implementation.
Dutch sustainable chocolate brand Tony’s Chocolonely has announced Waitrose has become a ‘Mission Ally’ and the first UK-owned retailer to join its unique sustainability supply chain.
A multi-stakeholder initiative has been launched in Ghana to ‘end child labour in all its form,’ by eradicating its root causes, and coordinating ongoing efforts along Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Dairy-free chocolate maker Moo Free is strengthening its sustainability credentials with the launch of The Hub, a business tool offering the manufacturer complete traceability across its supply chain.
The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), along with other industry stakeholders, has launched groundbreaking methodology for accurately measuring cocoa household and living incomes.
Ghana will follow Cote d’Ivoire and raise the fixed farmgate price paid to cocoa farmers by up to 50%. The announcement could be made as early as the end of this week, ConfectioneryNews understands.
Perfetti Van Melle, the owner of international confectionery brands including Mentos, Chupa Chups, and Fruittella, has announced that its near-term science-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets (including FLAG) have been evaluated and...
Similar to the European Union's deforestation measures to tackle deforestation linked to commodity imports, the UK government has announced a new global deforestation law, but Fairtrade is concerned about the extra costs to farmers.
Operators and traders strive to comply with EUDR but face challenges: gaps in information, technical solutions, and supply chain complexities, claim FEFAC, FEDIOL, and agribusiness groups.
This Easter, shoppers can do more than choose between milk, dark, or white chocolate eggs; they have the power to make a significant difference to the cocoa farmers, says Fairtrade UK.
The National Confectioners Association is using its influence on Capitol Hill to dispel misconceptions about food additives after several states have implemented bans independently of the FDA.
The European Union (EU) has signalled its intent to delay the most controversial parts of its anti-deforestation regulation (EUDR) after protests by governments in Asia, Africa, and Latin America described the low, standard, or high-risk benchmarking...
Brands have been quietly shrinking the size of some products for a while but consumers are getting wise to this moneysaving trick and voting with their wallets.
After weeks of delay, the CSDDD has finally gained EU backing. However, with a range of concessions and changes made to the legislation, what does the revised CSDDD look like?
LiveEO, a Berlin-based provider of satellite analytics, has launched TradeAware Lite, a free version of its software platform, TradeAware, designed to help companies achieve compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The biennial Cocoa Association of Asia (CAA) International Cocoa Conference is set to return to Singapore on 12 to 13 September 2024, bringing together more than 600 senior business leaders, key stakeholders, decision-makers, and thought leaders from...
Procurement came under the spotlight at Chocoa’s recent Amsterdam Sustainable Cocoa Conference when it convened a panel of specialists to discuss why the practice is not just about buying beans - transactions should go a lot deeper in the value chain...
It was billed in the World Cocoa Foundation agenda as a ‘Fireside Chat.’ Still, the conversation was anything but cozy as the 2024 Partnership Meeting welcomed back Yves Brahima Koné, Cote d’Ivoire’s Coffee & Cocoa Council director general, and Joseph...
Using a combination of social psychology and economic models, a new UK study shows fair trade product sales increased in popularity during an economic downturn while organic product sales dropped, indicating a divide between the two labels’ favourability...
Tricia Brannigan, chief procurement officer and VP of Global Procurement at The Hershey Company, was in Amsterdam for WCF’s recent annual Partnership Meeting. She spoke exclusively to Confectionery News on the WCF’s fresh strategy and Hershey’s role in...
Picking up the baton from the World Cocoa Foundation Meeting, the Amsterdam Sustainable Cocoa Conference, organised by Chocoa, moved into the Beurs van Berlage for a further two days of discussion and debate on key policy issues affecting the global chocolate...
The World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting ended as it began, with an address from President Chris Vincent. Two days ago, in his opening remarks, he struck an upbeat chord, pleased with the internal changes in the organisation and a strategy refresh...
Apart from farmer income/poverty, the most discussed topic on day one of the World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting in Amsterdam was the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) that will be implemented at the end of this year.
In his opening remarks at this year’s World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting in Amsterdam, Chris Vincent, president of the WCF, said this year's conference theme, ‘aligning for global action,’ underscores the critical interconnectedness between...
Ahead of The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) Partnership Meeting in Amsterdam this week, the organisation has announced that Mawuli Coffie will be its country director for the WCF Ghana Office as part of a new senior leadership team spearheading an ambitious...
Plant-for-the-Planet has launched a free app that smallholder farmers can use to check their own farms and share their data with trading partners – and know within minutes whether they can continue importing into the EU under its new deforestation regulations.
That was one of the burning questions from our recent webinar on the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which is still available on demand from the link at the end of this article. As companies scramble to create robust due diligence procedures,...
EverSweet, a stevia sweetener made via fermentation rather than stevia leaf extraction, is one step closer to market entry in Europe having received positive safety opinions in the EU and UK.
It’s almost 10 months since we last spoke with Chris Vincent, the president of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF). As he prepares for the upcoming Partnership Meeting in Amsterdam (6-7 February), he gives an exclusive and wide-ranging interview to ConfectioneryNews...
A new report from Fairtrade International has highlighted that cocoa farmers who were paid a ‘living income reference price’ earned, on average, 15% more compared to government-regulated farmgate prices in origin countries.
Amsterdam Cocoa Week promises an ‘epic collaboration’ when it opens on Monday 5 February at the Beurs van Berlage, the city’s former stock exchange building, where joining forces under one roof will be high-level sustainability conferences Chocoa, the...
KitKat, one of Nestlé’s most popular and innovative confectionery brands, will now become its most sustainable after the company announced the snack bar will be made with 100% chocolate sourced from the Income Accelerator Programme (IAP)
A new industry group known as Fairmade is working to raise awareness in the cocoa sector of the benefits of producing chocolate at the origin of ingredients in developing countries.
December 30, 2024 marks the day by which supply chain stakeholders, including producers, importers, manufacturers, brands, and retailers within the European Union must ensure they are selling, importing and exporting EUDR compliant cocoa, coffee, palm...
At the end of 2023, Colombian sustainable brand Chocolate Cordillera announced that 106 female cocoa farmers from Urabá Antioquia had completed the first module of its ATENEA sustainability program, giving some the confidence to become fully independent...
The Rainforest Alliance certification platform has called for more support for smallholder cocoa farmers to ensure they are not unintentionally excluded from the EU market under the new deforestation regulations.
Achieving sustainable growth in the cocoa sector will be at the forefront of those taking part or visiting Amsterdam Cocoa Week in February where two important conferences are back-to-back and under one roof.
The World Cocoa Foundation’s Partnership Meeting promises two days of busy high-level discussions when leading industry figures gather in Amsterdam from 6 to 7 February. ConfectioneryNews is the official media partner and shall be reporting live from...
Since the World Cocoa Foundation’s last Partnership Meeting in Brussels at the end of 2022, the organisation has undergone significant internal changes – but its mission remains the same – to ‘create a thriving and equitable cocoa sector.’ After skipping...
Agrifood research recognises Europe’s efforts to boost supply chain traceability with robust regulations and technological advancements, yet more can be done to enhance its capabilities.
