In its biennial review of the cocoa sector, the VOICE Network found cocoa farming communities are still battling the effects of poverty, child labor and deforestation.

Guittard Chocolate Co. is launching the Cultivate Better cocoa initiative, a new program that engages with cocoa-growing communities to improve and protect unique flavor profiles while also developing integrated community initiatives that yield collaborative impact traceable to the farm level.

The Alter Eco Foundation will work directly with cacao farmers to help them transition to dynamic agroforestry, a method of regenerative agriculture with environmental, economic and social benefits.

More than 300 environmental, human rights and good governance NGOs have signed a letter outlining steps the Ghanaian and Ivorian governments should take to encourage sustainable cocoa while supporting farmers and protecting forests, environmental advocacy organization Mighty Earth reported.

Fuji Oil Holdings, along with subsidiary Blommer Chocolate Co., have launched two global initiatives to address the most significant issues the cocoa industry faces.

Fairtrade International’s West Africa Programme is training more cocoa farmers, generating greater understanding of Fairtrade Standards and selling more Fairtrade cocoa after intensive training, according to a new report the organization released last week.

Participating companies have mapped more than one million farms in their direct supply chain and distributed more than 4 million trees to farmers to establish agroforestry systems.