Sustainability: a concept once only contemplated by hardcore conservationists, green practices are becoming more and more mainstream. Though chocolate is a timeless dessert, manufacturers of the beloved sweet are modernizing and hopping on board the trend towards more environmentally conscious food production.
Famed chocolate company Mars invested $30 million in the endeavor to improve chocolate sustainability efforts in 2011, and they expect to continue putting at least that much towards the cause every year until 2020. Even so, they know that to truly revolutionize production techniques, they’ll need support and collaboration from the chocolate industry on the whole.
But where did all those millions of dollars go? To agricultural investments, research, and third-party certifications and technology to aid cocoa farmers around the world. These initiatives are aimed at improving farming efficiency in an environmentally friendly manner, increasing harvest yields in order to meet the increasing demand for chocolate products. This brings good news for cocoa farmers, too, improving their annual income and propagating the profession. Mars is committed to using only certified, sustainable cocoa in all its products before 2020.
You can learn more about the Mars sustainability practices by visiting their website, Sustainable Cocoa Initiatives.
As an independently operated candy company in Baltimore that’s been in the industry for nearly 100 years, Wockenfuss Candies is excited about the efforts to support dedicated cocoa farmers who produce the beans we need to continue making the chocolate that got us named one of Baltimore’s best candy makers!
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Sources:
Mars: We need to work together for sustainable cocoa