Ghana
Unilever extends long-term cocoa and chocolate sourcing deal with Barry Callebaut
A major strategic move from Unilever has seen it extend its decade-long sourcing agreement with Barry Callebaut for supply of chocolate and cocoa, with the company owning key global ice cream brands including Ben & Jerry’s, Carte D’Or, Cornetto and Wall’s, reports Neill Barston.
Business news, Cocoa & chocolate, Ingredients, New products, Processing, Regulatory, Sustainability
Exclusive: MIA delivers impact report after World Confectionery Conference accolade
MIA (Made In Africa) ethically-founded premium chocolate group has unveiled its latest impact report, detailing its expansion into producing chocolate in Ghana, seeking to drive enhanced benefits to farming communities, reports Neill Barston.
Business news, Cocoa & chocolate, Ingredients, Processing, Sustainability
Fairtrade creates human rights and environmental risk map revealing cocoa sector’s key issues
Fairtrade is set to enhance its sustainability work with plans for a new online mapping system in a bid to identify human rights and environmental risks in some of its core supply chains, including the cocoa sector, in a bid to combat ongoing major industry issues, reports Neill Barston.
Business news, Cocoa & chocolate, Ingredients, Processing, Sustainability
Behind the scenes: Driving cocoa sustainability in West Africa
Among core topics for this year’s World Confectionery Conference was the key issue of sustainability as it relates to core cocoa supply chains. Editor Neill Barston speaks exclusively to Alex Assanvo, executive secretary of the Ivory Coast and Ghana Cocoa Initiative on tackling major sector issues
Business news, Cocoa & chocolate, Ingredients, Sustainability
Tony’s Chocolonely: World Confectionery Conference interview
Pascal Baltussen, chief impact and operations officer of Tony’s Chocolonely, speaks exclusively to Neill Barston, editor of Confectionery Production ahead of his appearance at the World Confectionery Conference. He discusses the company’s ongoing cocoa and chocolate supply chain mission to drive improvement for key farming communities.
Business news, Cocoa & chocolate, Ingredients, Regulatory, Sustainability
Swiss cocoa platform marks fifth anniversary with call for greater farmer support
A meeting of marking the fifth anniversary of the Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa has examined key progress over five years targeting sustainability goals within the sector’s supply chains, centred on exploring solutions to support key farming communities, writes Neill Barston.
Business news, Cocoa & chocolate, Ingredients, Regulatory, Sustainability
MEPs call on EU Commission to deliver pact on sustainable cocoa sourcing to create a living wage
A concerned group of European MEPs have grouped together calling upon the EU Commission to negotiate with Ghana and Ivory Coast in the wake of proposals from the two West African nations to establish an Economic Pact for Sustainable Cocoa aiming deliver a living income for farmers, reports Neill Barston.
Fairtrade report highlights key means of supporting cocoa growing co-operatives
Proposals for improving cocoa farming co-operatives have been revealed in a new report from the Fairtrade Foundation examining best practice in supporting core farming communities serving the confectionery sector, reports Neill Barston.
Business news, Cocoa & chocolate, Ingredients, New products, Processing, Regulatory, Sustainability
Caobisco welcomes EU legislation plans for delivering deforestation-free products including cocoa
Caobisco, the European chocolate, biscuit and confectionery trade association, has backed EU plans for regulation on deforestation-free products, including the key cocoa supply chain serving the sweets and snacks sector, reports Neill Barston.
Business news, Cocoa & chocolate, Food safety, Processing, Regulatory, Sustainability
Urgent confectionery sector action on stemming deforestation needed
The last few years within the confectionery industry have seen an increasing spotlight being placed on the sustainability of the cocoa sector, with farming communities at the heart of the supply chain in West Africa facing considerable challenges.
Business news, Cocoa & chocolate, Processing, Regulatory, Sustainability
Guest Blog: Lidl and Tony’s Chocolonely point the way for how to deliver sustainable cocoa
Who grows my food, are they paid fairly, and do they use eco-friendly farming methods? These are some of the questions being asked by conscious consumers as the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow this month brings issues of sustainability to the foreground.
Business news, Cocoa & chocolate, Ingredients, Regulatory, Sustainability
Will chocolate companies answer the urgent call to match Fairtrade prices amid cocoa crisis?
As cocoa sustainability remains a core issue for the chocolate sector, the major underlying problems of child labour, deforestation and fair payment of farmers are central to the future viability of the industry.
Ghana’s Cocoa Board signs key $1.5 billion finance agreement for farmer payment
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has secured a $1.5billion pre-export finance agreement with a consortium of local and international financial institutions, enabling cocoa purchasing for its critical 2021/2022 season.
Business news, Cocoa & chocolate, Ingredients, Processing, Sustainability
EU report proposes due diligence action tackling major child labour issues in Ghana and Ivory Coast
An EU report into actions required to enable the ending of child labour within cocoa supply chains in Ghana and Ivory Coast has proposed a series of measures including delivering on due diligence schemes and increasing farmer payments, reports Neill Barston.
Business news, Cocoa & chocolate, Ingredients, Regulatory, Sustainability