The coronavirus may have halted non-essential travel right now, but when the restrictions are lifted Peru is a go-to destination for cocoa lovers who have been missing their chocolate fix
During the partial COVID-19 lockdown in Côte d’Ivoire, a sharp rise in child labour was observed. Yet according to the International Cocoa Initiative, it is too early to attribute the increase to the pandemic alone.
From September this year, Rainforest Alliance will start rolling out the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard worldwide. How does this newly enhanced standard set itself apart in the field? FoodNavigator speaks with the NGO’s director of standards and...
The Rainforest Alliance has said it is ready to fully support Nestlé in its mission to improve sustainability in the cocoa sector, after it was announced the confectionery giant and maker of KitKats is to expand its in-house Cocoa Plan certification scheme...
Megan Giller of a Chocolate Noise blog has been running a series of online panel discussions under the banner ‘Race and Privilege in Craft Chocolate’ throughout June – and she ends her current series with a session on accountability this Friday (June...
The Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod) is set to raise the price of cocoa in a bid to offset low exports amid the coronavirus pandemic and heavy rains affecting this season’s crop.
The ingredients supplier has set new targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and eliminate coal from its operations, reduce water use, beneficially use all its waste, and maintain support for sustainable agriculture by 2030.
Cocoa supplier Cargill has announced a significant expansion in Asia with the launch of its first chocolate manufacturing operation in western India with growth plans across region.
The Fairtrade Foundation has issued a statement in response to Nestlé’s surprise announcement that it is planning to stop using Fairtrade cocoa and sugar in its chocolate bars, including the top-selling KitKats, and use Rainforest Alliance certification...
Lockdown restrictions at destination ports for cocoa exports caused by the coronavirus pandemic is having a financial impact on Ghana’s main commodity due to slowing exports and sales.
Chocolate and confectionery maker The Hershey Company reached a milestone in its CSR strategy in January when 100% of the cocoa it sources was certified sustainable. FoodNavigator speaks to the company’s director of global sustainability and social impact...
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), an EU-funded institution established to support smallholder farmers in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific, has published results of a project carried out with blockchain specialists Gaiachain,...
Following consultation with stakeholders about the viability of holding a major trade exhibition as coronavirus cases continue to rise in multiple states, New Hope has opted to cancel Natural Products Expo East in Philadelphia (Sept. 23-26) and encourage...
The food industry is under massive pressure to reformulate products with less sugar. And in light of the voluntary target in the UK for manufacturers to meet a 20% cut in sugar by 2020 unlikely to be met, campaigners are increasingly demanding that mandatory...
Ahead of the United Nations’ World Day Against Child Labour, the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) has released findings of its 2019 Annual Report, which will be published to mark the day on 12 June.
Jeff King, Hershey’s senior director of global sustainability and social impact, is the person responsible for the company’s Cocoa For Good sustainability program, which has committed to 100% direct-sourced cocoa in West Africa by 2025. He talks to ConfectioneryNews...
An intensive programme for Fairtrade cocoa cooperatives in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, is showing encouraging signs, according to initial results released by the organization.
The World Cocoa Foundation’s (WCF) 2020 Partnership Meeting, set to be held in Bogotá, Colombia, on November 18 and 19, has been switched to an online-only event due to the coronavirus pandemic, the organization has announced.
Consumers are now paying more attention to the ingredients and nutritional content in the products they purchase and are becoming more mindful about what they put in their bodies, food experts and analysts agree, and confectionery is on the front line...
Organic ingredient supplier Ciranda has been at the forefront of healthy solutions for the past quarter of a century, while supporting sustainable agriculture practices and the livelihood of farmers around the world.
Sugar reduction is now a key mindset for consumers across the globe, however sugar replacement is not a straightforward process, writes Thomas Schmidt, BENEO’s marketing director.
Bunge Loders Croklaan, one of the leading companies in edible specialty oils and fats production, has developed ‘Sweetolin’ that will enable up to 50% less sugar in the final confectionery product with ‘no compromise on taste experience’.
Company says its flavour modulator range (FMP) is designed to address the upcoming European organic regulation regarding flavourings for organic food and beverages to have at least a 95/5 structure — meaning 100% natural with at least 95% derived from...
The European Cocoa Association (ECA) has announced Cargill president of Cocoa & Chocolate, Harold Poelma, as the new chairman of the Association for the next two years, effective immediately.
Better-for-you Icelandic brand Good Good – which produces no sugar added products, including keto and diabetic-friendly snacks, spreads and stevia drops – has closed a Series A round of investment.
The donation includes two ventilators, complementing the 18 ordered by the government in addition to the four already available in this West African country of 25 million inhabitants, and the world’s largest cocoa producer.
Following the release of the confectionery giant’s Snacking Made Right Report, Pieters discusses life in lockdown, how the group is looking after its farmers on the ground and why 100% sustainable cocoa is achievable.
Olam Cocoa has announced a package of support to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) and important medical supplies to its cocoa farming communities tackling COVID-19 across central and West Africa.
A major new landscape study commissioned into the cocoa sector in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire by Mondelēz International’s Cocoa Life in conjunction with The Fairtrade Foundation has discovered that at least 800,000 farmers are being targeted more than...
Smallholder farmers in Africa are particularly at risk amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Julie Greene, VP, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at agri-food giant Olam.
Divine Chocolate was established in 1998 by a co-operative of cocoa farmers in Ghana that owns 44% of the company and shares in its profit and is known as the ‘Chocolate that Champions Women’.
Eliminating deforestation in cocoa-producing regions such a Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire is a challenge, and one that requires more resources, says Violaine Berger, senior program manager of the Cocoa & Forests Initiative at the Sustainable Trade Initiative.
Multi-national food company has published its 2019 Snacking Made Right Report, highlighting the company’s significant progress towards achieving its 2025 sustainable and mindful snacking goals.
Fairtrade says the funding is in place to support farmers, workers and communities affected by the coronavirus pandemic to meet long-term and short-term needs.
An official report funded by the US Department of Labor and due out at the end of June assessing progress in reducing child labor in cocoa production in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana has found the proportion of children engaged in dangerous child labor in cocoa...
Couverture and socially aware chocolate maker Guittard is providing resources and donations to help give back to the community via its Make it Sweet Program.
New initiative builds on other industry efforts to help cocoa farmers respond to coronavirus pandemic and is backed by more than 30 companies and organizations.
Cacao-Trace, Belcolade & Puratos’ sustainable cocoa sourcing programme, is ensuring its farmers are given financial help and practical support to hep fight COVID-19 in their communities.
The global sugar confectionery market size is anticipated to reach $69.5bn by 2026, growing at a rate of 4.3%, according to new research published by Polaris Market Research, as sugar stays stable on the commodity market.
The dietary effects of polyphenols on sporting activities are well documented but a review now thinks their gut microbiota interaction holds promise for enhancing cognitive function needed for peak athletic performance.
We are proud to announce our new editorial advisory board comprised of key figures from the cocoa and chocolate industry assembled to help ConfectioneryNews maintain its position as a leading voice in the sector and help with coverage of industry-related...
