INDONESIA – Mondelēz International has opened a new ‘state-of-the-art’ cocoa crop science technical centre in Pasuruan, Indonesia that will support the development of sustainable and resilient high-yield farming practices.
The center enables Mondelēz International to develop and promote better cocoa farming practices, continuing its work with farming communities, suppliers and partners around the world.
It represents an important step in the company’s mission to lead the future of snacking by securing a sustainable future for high-quality cocoa, so consumers can enjoy the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way.
“Cocoa is at the heart of chocolate, and demand is growing, with Asia set to become the second-largest consumer of cocoa ingredients. Mondelēz International is determined to meet that demand in the right way by creating a thriving cocoa sector,” Maurizio Brusadelli, executive vice-president and president, Asia, Middle East and Africa for Mondelēz International, said.
“We need to secure a sustainable future for high-quality cocoa and other raw materials we use to create the snacks our consumers love.”
Maurizio Brusadelli – executive vice-president and president, Mondelēz International
“Consumers also expect more from their favourite brands like Cadbury Dairy Milk and Milka chocolate. People want delicious snacks they feel good about eating, know where ingredients come from and produced in ways that are better for the environment and communities.
“We need to secure a sustainable future for high-quality cocoa and other raw materials we use to create the snacks our consumers love.”
The company states that the investment in the new centre will “help to secure a sustainable future for high-quality cocoa”, and will aid the company’s commitment to sourcing 100% of cocoa used for its chocolate through the Cocoa Life global cocoa sustainability programme by 2025.
“We’re on a mission to drive positive change by creating a future of sustainable snacking and that includes using our global scale to create meaningful, lasting impact,” Rob Hargrove, executive vice-president, research, development and quality for Mondelēz International, said.
“The Pasuruan Cocoa Technical Center is our global home for cocoa crop science initiatives. It brings local and international cocoa crop science experts together with farmers and suppliers in the cocoa-growing areas of Sulawesi, Sumatra, and East Java. Our scientists can go from the labs at the centre to field sites where we have research collaborations and on-farm activities through Cocoa Life.”
As one of the world’s largest buyers of cocoa for chocolate, the sustainability of the cocoa farming industry is key to Mondelēz International’s long-term growth in Asia and around the world.
Currently, 63% of the cocoa used by Mondelez chocolate brands such as Cadbury is sourced through the Cocoa Life programme. By the end of 2019, Cocoa Life had reached 175,017 cocoa farmers globally: 43,000 of these are Indonesian cocoa farmers.
At the centre, scientists will collaborate with local with farmers and suppliers to develop and implement sustainable farming practices in cocoa-growing areas such as Sulawesi, Sumatra, and East Java.
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