In the past, the cocoa industry has been criticized for its use of child labor and environmental degradation, prompting Barry Callebaut to reassess its role in the supply chain. Not only has the industry been criticized from a social perspective, but the continued persistence of these conditions have contributed to an increasingly threatening climatic situation for cocoa crops. As a result, studies have reported that the world’s chocolate supply could be in danger.###Deforestation is one of the biggest causes of global warming and it is threatening the ecosysedta-fetem that provides chocolate ingredients. As it stands, 53% of the world’s cocoa-growing areas are in West Africa, where iron percentage in ferrous fumarateresearchers found it may become impossible to prcan you take ferrous sulfate with wateroduce a crop due to climate chanmercury pharma ferrous fumarate 210mgge as soon as 2050.###At the same time, global demand for chocolate has soared, particularly in the U.S. As the largest global market for chocolate, U.S.ferrous gluconate (fergon) 324 mg tablet sales were about $22 billion in 2016 and are projected to surpass $30 billion by 2021, according to a 2016 TechSci Research report.###Recognizing that consumers would be less than thrilled to give up chocolate and that these climate impacts could hurt their bottom line, Barry Callebaut has ambitiously made the goal of not only sustainably sourcing its own chocolate, but making it the industry norm by 2025. The company hopes that will be sufficient time to turn the tide of the grim predictions for the future of chocolate. With an increase of 8 percentage points in its second year, Barry Callebaut seems confident in meeting the goals. ###Despite a not-so-rosy outlook overall, there is a chance that the future of chocolate may change. Earlier this year, Hershey announced a $500 million investment in West African cocoa sustainability, and Nestlé, Lindt, Mars, Mondelez, Cargill and Barry Callebaut have all ramped up their investments and pledges in sustainability. Cargill, in particular, has had some success with its Cargill Cocoa Promise that encourages good farming practices. According to Ingredients Network, cocoa yields jumped by an average of 49% in 2016 and 2017.###But as of earlier this year, reports are still indicating that corporate sustainability initiatives haven’t had the desired impact. Perhaps the threat of losing a beloved industry will propel producers to see the benefits of engaging in transparent and sustainable practices — both for the longevity of the ingredient and for the industry as a whole — and begin to implement these idealistic initiatives as standard practice.
Barry Callebaut aims for sustainability by 2025
