Mondelēz International’s Cocoa Life sustainability program aims to strengthen the company’s supply chain and the Cadbury maker’s on-pack claims are only to signal brands contain sustainable cocoa, says Cathy Pieters, the director of the program.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard on sustainable cocoa will help mainstream ethical cocoa, says the chair of the standard, while an NGO worries uptake will be limited.

Ecuador’s efforts to create value at origin could be damaged by the EU’s recent regulation of heavy metal cadmium in chocolate, claims the president of the country’s cocoa export association.

Regenerative farming is said to enhance crops and make the most of limited land resources while reducing the use of chemicals. In the third part of this series we look at how this translates into cacao production, and other crops.

There was a lot of innovation on show at the recent Fi South America event in Sao Paulo. FoodNavigator-LATAM caught up with hydrocolloids supplier CP Kelco to find out how their ingredients can provide solutions to some of the region’s big trends.

Regenerative agriculture is slowly making inroads into the consumer mindset but still remains a mystery to most. To get to grips with the concept this article takes a look at the most important element: the soil.

The rise and rise of the organic and naturals trend in the food and health and wellness industry is putting increasing pressure on farmers to produce pesticide-free, sustainable and efficient crops for raw materials.

Consumers in Brazil are trying to consume less sugar and more protein, but food and beverage brands need to ensure that taste and texture are not detrimentally affected while also boosting the perception of ‘freshness’ for their products, according to a market analyst from Mintel.

The Brazilian retail market for organic food and beverages is growing at 20-25%, and the imminent entry of some of the world’s biggest food companies is “huge”, says the executive director of the Brazilian Council for Organic and Sustainable Production.

For companies with limited R&D budgets or for those seeking some external help to speed up a developmental pipeline, Ingredion has launched a free to access virtual lab, and it’s coming soon to formulators across Latin America.