As sustainability across the global sweets and snacking sector takes centre stage at this year’s World Confectionery Conference, Cordillera Chocolate has continued its key focus on biodiversity, writes Neill Barston.

Natalie Quintero Zuluaga, marketing director for the Colombian business, will be representing the company at our event in London on 10th September, discussing some of its key achievements including its Atenea programme supporting women in cocoa.

She will also be discussing how the business has evolved its other key strategies including its mission to grow its ethically-founded model, and approach to supporting biodiversity within the sector.

Her colleague Jorge Leon recently spoke to Confectionery Production on the venture, noting that the venture (see our exclusive video with him below), which is centred on promoting agroforestry techniques and highlighting wildlife diversity within its native cocoa communities. You can register for our World Confectionery conference via our website, confectioneryconfere.com

As the company noted, its strategy was first unveiled at a session at the  most recent  Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting in Amsterdam. It aims to move biodiversity from a peripheral reporting issue to a measurable, strategic pillar of responsible sourcing.

Cordillera’s cocoa farms operate as complex agroforestry systems where agricultural production coexists with native ecosystems. A comprehensive biodiversity baseline study, conducted with Proforest and Universidad del Norte, documented more than 570 species across these landscapes, including 34 migratory bird species and over 60 protected or threatened species listed under international conservation frameworks.

The findings establish what the company describes as a first-of-its-kind scientific baseline for Colombian cocoa agroforestry, enabling targeted conservation programmes and long-term environmental monitoring.
Jorge León, B2B Sustainability Manager at Cordillera Chocolate, said the initiative reflects a broader shift in how sustainability is understood within agricultural supply chains.

“We now understand sustainability from a more holistic perspective. A prosperous farmer cannot exist without a healthy environment,” León said. “Cocoa production, biodiversity and human well-being are deeply interconnected, and protecting ecosystems is essential to the long-term resilience of both farmers and business.”

As the abusiness noted, the initiative places cocoa farmers at its core, recognising their role as stewards of agroforestry landscapes. Cordillera has worked with Colombian cocoa-growing communities for nearly seven decades, and the company says farmer participation is essential for meaningful biodiversity outcomes.

León highlighted the link between biodiversity and climate resilience in cocoa production.

“By strengthening biodiversity, we improve water regulation, soil health, pollination and climate adaptation,” he said. “This directly reinforces farmer resilience, supply stability and long-term business viability.”

A sector-wide shift
Cordillera is positioning the initiative as a collaborative platform, inviting partners and stakeholders to contribute to biodiversity-positive cocoa supply chains. The company argues that scaling agroforestry approaches could reshape the future of cocoa production.

The topic will be discussed at this week’s World Confectionery Conference, as part of look at how cocoa supply chains are working towards delivering on sustainability, with the advent of major legislation including EUD compliance, as well as the impact of technology across industries.

“If biodiversity becomes standard practice, agroforestry will form the backbone of the sector while monoculture systems increasingly prove unsustainable,” León said. “This shift would strengthen ecosystems, stabilise supply chains and support more resilient farmer livelihoods.”