Fears of a major upcoming cocoa shortage have made the chocolate industry sit up and take note. Most mainstream cocoa users have focused on the question of how to increase yields but Divine Chocolate CEO Sohpi Tranchell believes such an emphasis fails to go far enough.
UK-based Fairtrade chocolate maker Divine is majority-owned by Ghana-based farmer cooperative Kuapa Kokoo. According to Tranchell, who regularly visits Divine's farmer owners in Ghana, the real threat to cocoa supply is the sector's inability to appeal to the "next generation" of farmers.
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"It is incredibly concerning when you talk to most young people that nobody has an aspiration to be a cocoa farmer," Tranchell tells just-food.
In our latest audio clip, you can hear more on Tranchell's observations on the problems facing the cocoa supply chain and what she thinks the industry can do to make cocoa farming more sustainable.
Click here for a full interview with Tranchell in which she discusses Divine's move to merge its UK and US divisions, the impact of retailer range reviews in the UK and the company's plans for growth in other markets.
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