For farmers in West Africa, buyers in Europe and North America, and brands dependent on aroma, yield, and sustainability credentials, this year’s talks may shape whether cocoa beans keep thriving - or just surviving.
The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) used the run-up to Climate Week to announce a milestone: the first-ever greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting standard tailored for cocoa. Developed with sustainability consultancy Quantis and industry partners, the GHG Accounting Standard Methodology gives companies a consistent way to track emissions across the value chain - from land use change to carbon removals.
There is no doubt that the stakes are rising. Cocoa cultivation is highly sensitive to weather shifts, and the past two seasons have shown how climate extremes can ripple through global markets. Heat stress, erratic rainfall, and crop disease have already reduced yields in West Africa, driving prices to historic highs in 2024 and early 2025. With the world’s supply chain dependent on a handful of regions, adaptation and emissions reductions are no longer long-term goals but immediate necessities.
A New Standard for Emissions Accounting
“Until now there has not been a consistent and detailed way for the cocoa industry to report greenhouse gas emissions accurately,” said Michael Matarasso, Impact Director and Head of North America at WCF. “By aligning the cocoa sector around a best practice standard method, we are now streamlining emissions accounting. This will ensure that companies can report the most accurate data, support them to participate fully in climate-related programming, and deliver associated financial benefits to farmers who partake in carbon projects.”
Alexandra Stern, Land & Agriculture Lead at Quantis US, called the framework “the product of a collaborative effort which integrated insights from key industry stakeholders to address the sector’s unique challenges effectively.”
The new manual is designed to support compliance with Scope 3 reporting requirements under the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Land Sector and Removals Guidance. For companies, it offers both minimum requirements and pathways to go further. For farmers, it could unlock new opportunities in carbon finance - if implemented equitably.
Anthony Myers
Climate Week Sessions with Cocoa in Focus
Several Climate Week NYC sessions (September 21- 28, 2025) highlight how the cocoa sector fits into broader global food and climate challenges:
- GHG Accounting Manual for the Cocoa Sector: WCF and Quantis will present the new framework as a tool for consistent reporting.
- From Soil to Shelf: A Unified Approach to Building Resilient Food Systems: A session hosted by Economist Impact will spotlight resilience strategies, with cocoa as a central case given its sensitivity to soil, biodiversity, and water stress.
- Calculating Land Use Change Impact from Agriculture: Quantis will outline methods for emissions linked to deforestation and land conversion - issues deeply tied to cocoa expansion in tropical regions.
- Supply Chain Decarbonization Panels: Industry-wide discussions will cover how to de-risk sourcing through investment in agroforestry, diversification, and farmer support.
Challenges Ahead
For cocoa, the path forward is fraught with trade-offs. Implementing climate-smart practices such as shade planting or new resilient varieties requires upfront investment and training. Without price premiums or financing mechanisms, smallholder farmers may be left behind.
The push for traceability and verification - a central plank of the new GHG manual - also demands heavy investment in monitoring and reporting systems. Meanwhile, balancing short-term yield needs with long-term sustainability remains an industry-wide challenge.
Why It Matters
What emerges from Climate Week could reshape the cocoa sector’s climate strategy for years to come. Key signposts to watch include:
- Adoption of the WCF/Quantis GHG accounting manual by major chocolate companies.
- New national adaptation commitments from producing countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
- Early pilots in resilient cocoa varieties and agroforestry systems.
- Consumer market signals that reward climate resilience with pricing incentives.
CocoaRadar Bottom Line
For the global cocoa sector, Climate Week NYC 2025 is more than a gathering of diplomats and executives - it is a test of whether a fragmented supply chain can align around a unified climate response. The choices made in New York this September will ripple back to smallholder farms in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Ecuador, and beyond. For cocoa, climate adaptation and emissions reduction are no longer optional; they are the terms of survival.
- WCF Event: GHG Accounting Standard Methodology for Cocoa Sector. Thursday, 25 September 25 2025. See website for more.
Contact: insights@cocoaradar.com for leads or corrections