Mondelez launches Cocoa Life in Brazil

Mondelez International announced the expansion of its global cocoa sustainability initiative, Cocoa Life, in Brazil.

Cocoa Life aims to create empowered and thriving cocoa farming communities, by helping farmers to become more profitable and sustainable while safeguarding the future of chocolate. Around the world, the initiative is already making progress in five key cocoa origin countries: Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Indonesia, India and Dominican Republic.

Deerfield-based Mondelez has been supporting cocoa production in Brazil since 2014 and will build on this work, and on the learnings from other origins, to fully deploy the Cocoa Life program. In Pará, the company will invest around $200,000 per year over the next three years to empower cocoa farmers and to nurture thriving and independent cocoa communities. In Bahia, where farmers face a myriad of challenges related to crop management, Cocoa Life will provide guidance on the latest techniques in farm rejuvenation and good agricultural practices to improve yields and the quality of the cocoa produced as well as to mitigate environmental impact.

"We are thrilled about adding Brazil to our Cocoa Life initiative. Brazil is not only a cocoa-growing country but it's also an important chocolate manufacturing hub, home to one of our local heritage brands, Lacta, one of the country's favorites and top-selling chocolate brand," says Christine Montenegro McGrath, chief of sustainability & well-being. "Cocoa Life has already made a significant impact in West African cocoa farming communities and we expect it will do the same in Brazil. In addition, the program will also look at contributing to the preservation of the Amazon rain forest and to the community development."