Barry Callebaut Establishes Farm of the Future to Power Cocoa Farming Research and Innovation

Ecuador is a country with a deep knowledge of agricultural production, rooted in crops as diverse as coffee, bananas, and shrimps. In the world of chocolate, it is the world’s third-largest cocoa producer and one of the fastest-growing cocoa origins, as well as the largest global producer of fine flavor cocoa. Combined with our long-established expertise in innovation and sustainability, Ecuador is the perfect match for Barry Callebaut to build a dedicated hub to power cocoa farming research to support cocoa farming resilience and productivity.

Cargill Partners with Vertical Farming Leader AeroFarms in First-of-Its-Kind Research Focused on Cocoa Production

August 13, 2021 Cargill

As part of ongoing efforts to build a more resilient and sustainable cocoa sector, Cargill has entered a multi-year research agreement with vertical farming pioneer and leader AeroFarms aimed at improving cocoa bean yields and developing more climate-resilient farming practices.

Barry Callebaut to Acquire Europe Chocolate Company in Belgium

June 25, 2021 Barry Callebaut

The Barry Callebaut Group, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, has signed an agreement to acquire Europe Chocolate Company (ECC), a Belgian privately-owned B2B manufacturer of chocolate specialties and decorations.

Sustainable Cocoa Requires Biodiversity

Driven by increasing consumer demand, cocoa farming encroachment into forests and other lands, has caused deforestation and habitat degradation. A highly biodiverse cocoa farm has been shown to be drought, disease, and pest resilient, and produce higher yields.

Cocoa & Forests Initiative Reports Progress Despite Challenging Year

The governments and 35 companies in the Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) today reported progress made towards ending deforestation in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana in two joint public/private sector reports.