News from sector
Cocoa sector signs Dutch letter of intent with IDH and LNV
Over 25 retailers, chocolate producers and NGOs signed a letter of intent initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) and IDH on sustainable cacao. The signing parties aim to support the revitalization of cocoa production in West-Africa to allow for the consumption of sustainable produced and certified chocolate in the Netherlands. 'A historical step', said Gerda Verburg, Minister of LNV: 'Never before such a strong coalition of NGO's, companies, trade unions and certifiers signed a letter of intent with such explicit goals'. Joost Oorthuizen, director of IDH: ‘This letter of intent gives a strong signal in terms of market demand. The focus now should be on farmer support to raise quality and productivity for better business opportunities for cocoa farmers in West Africa.’
Read moreThree Dutch Ministers want sustainable cocoa
Three Dutch Ministers (Verburg, Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Koender, Minister for Development Cooperation and Heemskerk, Minister of Economical Affairs) spoke on the 8th of Februari with the cocao sector . Result of the meeting was that the participants agreed to formulate a declaration of intent with ambitious goals.
First batch of sustainable cocoa
On Saturday November 7 2009 the 1st batch of sustainable UTZ cocoa was welcomed by Dutch Minister of Development Cooperation Bert Koenders. On request of IDH Mars Veghel made the first sustainable Mars with the batch.
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