“Technology and innovation are key to the future of food system evolution, providing opportunities for improving farmer productivity and resilience, combating agriculture climate change, and reducing the impact of the environment,” Barry Callebaut said in a statement. Ecuador is the world’s third-largest cocoa producer and one of the fastest-growing cocoa origins, as well as the … Read more
Mars Inc has been making chocolate for more than 100 years. However, the company recognises that there are some systematic issues in the cocoa supply chain that are yet to be solved. Smallholder farmers produce around 95% of global cocoa supplies. A large majority of these farmers don’t make a living income to provide for … Read more
Chocolate is one of the most consumed food products on the planet. Estimated to reach a total market size of $180bn by 2025, according to ResearchAndMarkets, chocolate is big business. But the chocolate industry has a ‘truly dark side’, according to London-based start-up WNWN (pronounced ‘win-win’) Food Labs. “People don’t really know about the problems … Read more
The Cocoa, Forest and Diversity Agreement In the context of growing demand and new European regulations for deforestation-free products, the Sustainable Production Coalition (Coalición por una Producción Sostenible), a Peruvian multi-stakeholder platform, is promoting the country’s cocoa sector agreement: ‘The Cocoa, Forest and Diversity Agreement’. Members of Peru cocoa’s Sustainable Production Coalition. Pic: solidaridadsouthamerica.org The … Read more
Founded in 2017, Koa is disrupting the cocoa industry through its innovative upcycling of the cocoa fruit. Koa is the first company in West Africa to have unlocked a new value chain around the so-far-discarded cocoa pulp. Working closely with cocoa smallholders, Koa reduces on-farm food waste around the cocoa fruit and generates additional farmer … Read more
Q: Why is deforestation an issue in the cocoa industry? Andrew Brooks: The root cause is low farmer incomes. Most cocoa farmers have small amounts of land, so they can’t grow enough cocoa to fully support their families. To bring in extra income, they may resort to clearing more land to farm. That’s why we … Read more
posted by Liz Berg on May 10, 2022 Chewy Cocoa Brownies are those you dream about. Made from scratch, these chewy brownies are generously topped with chocolate buttercream! Homemade Brownie Recipes are terrific for any occasion, whether for game day, a picnic, or a casual dinner. And these simple frosted brownies were a hit! Why … Read more
Supported by a grant from the Open Society Foundations, the report, What Makes Co-operatives Work?, outlines recommendations for Fairtrade and the cocoa sector at large, developed after researchers conducted an in-depth study into the functions of s and heard feedback from two case study cocoa cooperatives in Ghana. The recommendations include proposals for how better … Read more
Chocolate production is a multi-step process that starts with freshly harvested cocoa beans. Researchers reporting in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have found that an alternative processing step called “moist incubation” results in a dark chocolate that tastes ‘fruitier’ and more ‘flowery’ than that produced by the conventional fermentation process. … Read more
A group of MEPs from The European Parliament has called for the European Commission (EC) to enter into negotiations with Cote d’Ivoire following a proposal by the two largest cocoa producing countries to establish an Economic Pact for Sustainable Cocoa to address the entire Cocoa cocoa value chain. An Economic Pact that addresses the key … Read more