Mondelēz International, Inc. and Olam Food Ingredients (OFI) are joining forces in Indonesia to create the world’s single largest sustainable commercial cocoa farm.

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.

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.

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.

The Hershey Co. has released action plans against deforestation under the company’s commitments as a founding member of the Cocoa & Forest Initiative. 

Fairtrade International is raising the prices it will pay for conventional and organic cocoa next fall after world cocoa prices dropped by more than a third last year.

Mars, Inc. and the Rainforest Alliance, in partnership with Touton and the Grameen Foundation, have launched in Ghana SAT4Farming, an initiative using digital technology and satellite imagery to guide farmers over a seven-year period.

Puratos Group has introduced its Cacao-Trace sustainable cocoa sourcing program to Papua New Guinea.