Procurement came under the spotlight at Chocoa’s recent Amsterdam Sustainable Cocoa Conference when it convened a panel of specialists to discuss why the practice is not just about buying beans - transactions should go a lot deeper in the value chain and with new EU legislation looming, sustainability and traceability is becoming more and more the core business of procurement, delegates were informed.
Love may be in the air this Valentine's Day – but so is the eye-watering price of cocoa on the market, making the cost of the key ingredient in chocolate more expensive than ever, according to analysts.
Cacao fruit, or cocoa fruit, is drawn from the same pod as cocoa beans. Normally thrown away, the juice, pulp and peel of the pod can be used as a sweetener in a range of products. Across Europe and beyond, cacao fruit has appeared recently in a range of beer and wine products.