Global Witness Findings Deepen Questions Over Mondelēz Cocoa Strategy

Global Witness has alleged that Mondelēz International pursued delays and changes to the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) that the NGO says would weaken the law. Mondelēz disputes that characterisation, saying it supports the regulation’s objectives and engages with policymakers to help make the rules workable.

The environmental watchdog’s investigation found that Mondelēz chairman abd chief executive Dirk Van de Put met Andrew Puzder, the US ambassador to the EU and an outspoken critic of the regulation, in Brussels in June. Global Witness said the meeting formed part of a broader campaign involving EU institutions and policymakers in France, Germany, Ireland and Luxembourg.

For the cocoa sector, the findings raise questions about the relationship between Mondelēz’s public sustainability commitments, its investment in Cocoa Life and its position on mandatory supply-chain regulation.

Mondelēz Weighs Future Of Cocoa Life Amid Renewed Industry Scrutiny

EXCLUSIVE: Two industry sources have told CocoaRadar that Mondelēz is considering reducing funding and possibly scaling back Cocoa Life, its flagship cocoa sustainability programme, raising questions over the future of one of the chocolate industry’s biggest corporate sustainability initiatives

From The Desk of CocoaRadar™Anthony Myers

The findings come amid separate uncertainty over Cocoa Life, Mondelēz’s principal cocoa-sustainability programme. CocoaRadar reported in August that two industry sources said the company was considering reducing the programme’s funding or scale. 

CocoaRadar has not established that any proposal has been approved, and has found no evidence connecting a review of Cocoa Life with the company’s EUDR lobbying.