A smarter future for cocoa? Upcycling certification and traceability tactics to tackle deforestation

09 Jun 2022 --- As cocoa farming is battered with climate shocks and volatile marketing pricing, one major supplier, Ecom has unveiled a Cocoa Charter designed to tackle deforestation and strengthen biodiversity with big aims to carry out deforestation and biodiversity risk assessments throughout its supply chain by 2023. Other moves in cocoa include how Barry Callebaut’s upcycling project Cacao Barry is making strides in combating food waste as it receives official upcycled certification.

Ecom’s charter comes as global demand for sustainable cocoa is growing as consumers and investors demand responsibly sourced cocoa that is grown with respect to the environment, human rights as well as being fully traceable. 

“This has demanded a change in the way cocoa is grown, sourced and sold,” Pamela Schreier, senior global cocoa sustainability manager, ECOM tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

“We’re familiar with the challenges, both social and environmental, that come with trading raw agricultural materials within complex global supply chains,” she notes. “Now, as the impacts of climate change become more evident and as the role of business in protecting human rights becomes clearer, we believe that now is the time to accelerate our efforts around responsible cocoa.

One way cocoa producers can generate extra income for farmers and reduce wastage of cocoa by-products is by “upcycling” cacao fruit, a process which Barry Callebaut has integrated into operations since 2021. The initiative showcases how premium chocolate products can be created from an ingredient that would otherwise have gone to waste.Cacao Barry has received approval for its Evocao Wholefruit chocolate from UFA. 

According to the Upcycled Food Association (UFA), about 14 million tons of cacao fruit are harvested around the world annually while previously 70% of cacao fruit was thrown away. The UFA calculated that if all the harvested cacao fruit was used to the fullest, it would reduce the same amount of CO2 as planting 3.5 billion trees a year.

Preventing food waste is the most effective solution to prevent global warming, global climate solutions ranker Project Drawdown reports, making the cacao fruit the most impactful fruit to fully upcycle.

Fostering climate-resilience
In addition to pioneering the upcycling cacao fruit in the chocolate category, Cacao Barry, a chocolate brand for artisans and chefs has received the Upcycled Certified stamp of approval from the UFA for its Evocao WholeFruit Chocolate range.

“Eliminating food waste is the single most effective thing people can do to address climate change,” says Turner Wyatt, co-founder and CEO, UFA. 

“Due to the launch of Upcycled Certified, reducing food waste becomes much easier. Upcycling is an innovative approach because it’s the first consumer product-based solution to food waste, making it highly scalable and economically sustainable.”

Innova Market Insights pegged “Upcycling Redefined” as #9 within its Top Ten Trends for 2022, which focuses on how both industry and consumers can play their part in shaping a sustainable and prosperous future. 

“Thousands of people worldwide grow the cocoa that enters our supply chain. Cocoa farmers have typically relied on a seasonal cocoa income and so in the rest of the year, can find themselves faced with economic hardship,” Schreier says.

“In addition, the more difficult farming becomes with the impacts of climate change, volatile market pricing and the seasonal nature of cocoa farming, the harder it will be to attract and keep young farmers in the cocoa value chain,” outlines Schreier.

The latest “Forever Chocolate” progress report by Barry Callebaut shows the company is working toward its goal to produce completely sustainable chocolate by 2025. Reducing poverty in its cocoa farmer workforce remains a core focus in the coming years.

In April, the UFA expanded its Upcycled Certified program into Canada after seeing success in the US. 

Training in climate smart agricultureEcom Smarter Cocoa Charter trains cocoa farmers in climate resilient methods. 
Farmers are at the heart of the Smart Cocoa Charter, striving to make them more resilient to the impacts of climate change. The pillars of the commitment are to improve farmer and worker livelihoods, protect and regenerate nature and manage change through transparency and traceability.

The charter holds Ecom accountable for training all its farmers in climate-smart agriculture by 2025. Climate-smart techniques will include training on good soil management, pest control and shade management. 

“That is why Ecom supports and empowers farmers to nurture resilient businesses. By enhancing their economic security and skills, we can help ensure that they have the means to embed socially and environmentally responsible practices on their farms,” Schreier continues.

Cocoa value chain regeneration
The Smart Cocoa Charter sets a goal to establish agroforestry models; farming systems to help enhance forest cover, sequester carbon, and improve biodiversity and soil health. It aims to monitor systems in the supply chain to diversify income and strengthen climate resilience.

Initiatives will include the design and delivery of programs to remove or reduce emissions at farm or even regional levels through initiatives such as agroforestry, reforestation and land-tilling.

By Inga de Jong