Chocolate for forever: Barry Callebaut makes moves to ensure lasting climate health

28 Nov 2019 --- Barry Callebaut’s Forever Chocolate strategy includes the objective of storing more carbon than it emits by 2025. Together with its partner, The Gold Standard Foundation, the Swiss company has developed a methodology to verify how much carbon emissions can be reduced and removed at farm level and in cocoa growing communities. Since launching its overarching strategy, it highlights a 12 percent reduction of its carbon footprint per metric ton of product. The cocoa and chocolate giant further outlines a 6.7 percent reduction of its carbon footprint by from 9.10 million tons to 8.5 million metric tons, while hitting a 5 percent volume growth.

“To become carbon positive, we are continuously pushing the boundaries on carbon accounting and measurement, carbon offsetting and insetting methodologies and activities,” says Pablo Perversi, Chief Innovation, Sustainability and Quality Officer and Head of Global Gourmet at Barry Callebaut.

The carbon reduction achievement is based on the work undertaken by Barry Callebaut together with its partners. To reduce its carbon footprint, Barry Callebaut is focusing on three areas. These include:

• The footprint created by its operations.
• The footprint generated by the energy the company uses.
• The footprint of its entire supply chain, which also includes the production and processing of all sourced raw materials and related land use changes (LUC).

Barry Callebaut is testing viability of biochar, which can be used as a fertilizer.In collaboration with the Gold Standard Foundation, Barry Callebaut is monitoring its carbon emissions through carbon insetting projects, such as tree planting or the sale of cook stoves and solar home systems. The company pegs itself as the first to have Scope 3 value chain interventions verified – resulting in a sequestration of 90,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from these activities.

These ambitious targets brought together the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the UN Global Compact, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and WWF – forming the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). It recognizes Barry Callebaut’s carbon reduction objective as a “Science Based Target,” which indicates that the company is contributing to the collective efforts set out by the organizations to cap global warming at 1.5°C. This is also the most ambitious designation currently available through the process.

Furthermore, Barry Callebaut is now exploring new ways of reducing its carbon footprint and is currently testing the viability of biochar. Biochar consists of the residue of cocoa bean shells, which were used to generate energy in the factories and can further be used as a fertilizer in Barry Callebaut’s Farm Services business, to improve soil quality and reduce the carbon impact of cocoa production. Alternatively, biochar can be used by dairy suppliers for cow feed production to reduce methane production.

Sustainably sourced treatsGlobal chocolatiers are tapping into new avenues of sustainability.
Interlinked with the demand for chocolate with a clear provenance is the desire for environmentally friendly offerings. This is highlighted by notable players across the cacao sector, and underscored by Marco Oomen, Global Business Director of Chocolate & Confectionery Fats at AAK. In an exclusive interview with FoodIngredientsFirst, he notes that consumers are looking to verify the sustainability and traceability of food production.

He highlights the plant-based revolution as an example of how sustainability is dominating. In recent years, chocolate confectionery has seen the shift to plant-based ingredients and a move away from animal products (for example dairy in chocolate and gelatin in sugar confectionery). This continues to drive innovation and capture consumers’ attention, and growth is expected to continue, Oomen predicts. 

Meanwhile, Colombian chocolate supplier Luker is set to launch a portfolio of vegan chocolates by 2020. “This will allow us to be part of the plant-based trend, which is becoming stronger by the day. Thus, we can continue to incorporate new innovations for our customers looking for ingredients or finished products,” explains Camilo Celis Rueda, Brand and Communications Director at Luker Chocolate.

Earlier this month, the UK-based Galaxy brand made waves with the announcement of its first vegan alternative to milk chocolate. Unlike dark chocolate, milk chocolate is notoriously difficult to make vegan due to its higher dairy content. However, the Mars Wrigley-owned brand says that a hazelnut paste will create the same smooth and creamy signature characteristics of Galaxy sought by consumers.

By Benjamin Ferrer