INTHEBLACK April 2025 - Magazine - Page 26
F E AT U R E
“These challenges call for innovation, alignment
and commitment from all parties to secure a
sustainable future for the cocoa value chain.”
CHRIS VINCENT, WORLD COCOA FOUNDATION (WCF)
of millions — particularly in West Africa.”
Changing land use, mining and plant diseases
are also affecting production levels, he says,
with huge crop losses driving severe price
volatility of cocoa beans. Prices hit an
all-time high of nearly US$10,000 per metric
ton in 2024.
It is an all-round unpalatable picture,
except consumer demand for chocolate keeps
increasing. Not everyone eats chocolate,
but average annual consumption equals
1 kilogram for each person on the planet.
Industry revenue worldwide for 2024 was
estimated at US$254 billion, and Statistica
tips industry growth at 4.89 per cent to 2030.
New regulations — the European Union’s
Regulation on Deforestation-free Products
(EUDR) and the African Regional
Standard ARS-1000 — pose high hurdles
for compliance for small farmers as the
industry and government press for progress
on sustainability.
“Sustainability for the cocoa sector is
not just a goal,” says Vincent. “It is a shared
responsibility. These challenges call for
innovation, alignment and commitment
from all parties to secure a sustainable future
for the cocoa value chain.”
MAKING NEW MOVES
Among the many cues for action, Vincent
believes that “poverty is the root cause of
child labour, so improving farmer income
is key. Improved farming practices can help
to address the challenges of climate change
and reduce disease prevalence, while incomes
can be enhanced through adapted and
improved planting materials.”
Ironically, underpayment of cocoa farmers
has also deprived them of the means
to invest in climate resilience.
However, progress is underway. A new
Framework of Action was signed in late
November by the WCF, the governments
of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, and the
26 INTHEBLACK April 2025
United States Department of Labor. Vincent
insists that this is a “milestone in the intense
process of coordinating and accelerating
efforts to progressively eliminate child labour”.
Vincent sees major progress in the
traceability and transparency within cocoa
supply chains. “Companies and governments
are adopting innovative digital tools to
trace cocoa from farm to finished product,
ensuring ethical sourcing and compliance
with regulations. Programs promoting
agroforestry, gender equity and farmer
training are also helping to create more
sustainable and inclusive systems.”
There is an upswing in the adoption
of sustainability policies and reporting
in preparation for the EUDR, Vincent notes,
which outlaws products resulting from
land-clearing and forest degradation and
will be enforced from 30 December 2025.
The regional cocoa standard ARS-1000 also
seeks to professionalise the cocoa industry
and maintain access to European markets.
WHO IS “BIG CHOCOLATE”?
While the WCF sees public–private
partnerships as vital for tackling massive
complexities by bringing together
governments and industry to drive a united
front, squarely in the frame for scrutiny
are major chocolate makers, also known
as “Big Chocolate”.
Industry giants have launched varying
initiatives. Some partner with well-known
and longstanding certification schemes,
such as Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance,
which set standards for cocoa production
and provide incentives for farmers to adopt
sustainable practices.
Nestlé’s Cocoa Plan is aiming for
its responsible-sourcing core requirements
to cover its entire cocoa supply chain
by the end of 2025. The plan includes
accelerating incomes of cocoa-farming
households by focusing on productivity,
