Cargill has outlined a plan to eliminate deforestation from its cocoa supply chain, responding to the “considerable urgency” to address climate challenges.
The company, though a new Protect Our Planet plan, aims to achieve 100% cocoa bean traceability and has committed to “no further conversion” of any forest land in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire for cocoa production.
The initiative also expands Cargill’s forest efforts to five countries: Brazil, Indonesia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
As part of a supply chain transparency initiative, the firm will map its entire cocoa supply chain, using GPS and polygon farm mapping to identify the exact location of the farms and accurately assess farm size.
It will also continue to introduce traceability technology to cooperatives and farmers such as a Coop Management System and bar-coding of bags, enabling the business to trace beans back to individual farms. Cargill claims to have achieved 100% traceability from farm to factory in Ghana using these technologies.
Harold Poelma, Cargill cocoa and chocolate president, said: “We recognise there is considerable urgency to address climate and deforestation challenges. This means engaging in programmes to stop deforestation in the countries from which we source cocoa.
“We have made important first steps but there is more to be done and we believe that this action plan is how we will reach our goal.”
He added: “Concerns around deforestation and its impact demand a joint response from private and public sectors, companies and citizens alike. We are committed to playing our part in ending deforestation in the cocoa sector while improving the lives of cocoa farmers and their communities, reinforcing our ability to thrive as a business while leaving a positive impact on the world around us.”
Cargill added that it is committed to managing the risk of deforestation in its indirect cocoa and chocolate ingredient supply chains, including raising standards for third-party suppliers to advance their own transparency and build their capacity to address challenges.
In October, Cargill launched a waxy corn sustainability programme in Europe to ensure a long-term sustainable crop supply for food starch production.
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