Getting hands-on with pollination can boost cocoa yields, study shows | South Africa Today

Less than 10% of flowers in a cocoa tree are pollinated in natural conditions. Efforts to bolster the yields traditionally involved breeding programs or the use of fertilizers and other chemicals. A new study on Indonesian cocoa farms took a different approach: pollinating by hand. Researchers compared cocoa yields using their hands-on process versus traditional […]

New products – Nestle, General Mills cereal JV in UK organic launch; Mars adds to vegan chocolate range; Ferrero launches Kinder biscuits in France

This week's selection of new products includes the UK launch of an organic variant of Cheerios breakfast cereal from Nestlé and General Mills, and Kinder biscuits from Ferrero.

Ivory Coast cocoa growers step up campaign against chocolate giants | Fin24

Cocoa farmers in Ivory Coast has escalated a media campaign against multinational chocolate makers, threatening them with a boycott in a dispute over payment.

Ivory Coast, Ghana cancel cocoa sustainability schemes run by chocolatemaker Hershey

Ivory Coast and Ghana are cancelling all cocoa sustainability schemes run by U.S.-based Hershey in the west African countries, accusing the chocolatemaker of trying to avoid paying a cocoa premium aimed at combating farmer poverty.

Tackling the hidden cost of Europe's chocolate habit

Chocolate is a cheap treat in Europe, but beneath the wrapper, it is mired in the bitter issues of deforestation, biodiversity loss and child labour.

Coco industry upbeat about antiviral effects of coco oil - Manila Bulletin

Coconut industry stakeholders are upbeat that recent trials that show coconut oil having strong potential in fighting COVID-19 may provide a much-needed boost to the industry as well as the Philippine economy as a whole. The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), thru the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, […]