Cocoa farmers operate in a chocolate supply chain that perpetuates poverty and bear the bulk of the risk, claims Cacao for Change as it proposes an alternative model.
The International Cocoa Organization has quelled media reports of a chocolate crisis in 2020 and says there are sufficient cocoa stocks for the next five years.
Trading directly with Ecuadorean farmers ensures a better quality bean and boosts the ecological and ethical profile of a chocolate company, claims a US manufacturer.
Marabel Farms, an independent producer and supplier of cocoa beans from the Dominican Republic, has opened its first warehouse and distribution centre in the US.