Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products, plans to increase its cocoa processing operations by more than 50% in Ivory Coast over the next two years to respond to an increase in demand for cocoa liquor as more and more previously fully-integrated food companies outsource their primary cocoa liquor and chocolate needs. Barry Callebaut is well positioned to further benefit from this trend and is therefore securing future supplies by expanding its operations in Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa growing nation.

 

As part of the capacity expansion, Barry Callebaut will double the amount of cocoa beans it buys “on the ground” in Ivory Coast rather than over the commodity exchange. Direct bean sourcing provides the company with greater access to quality cocoa beans, which is reflected in the superior taste of the company’s cocoa and chocolate products.

 

Patrick De Maeseneire, CEO of Barry Callebaut, says: “Barry Callebaut has won three large supply contracts in the last six months, with Nestlé, Hershey and Cadbury. To respond to this increased demand for cocoa products we need to secure our cocoa bean supply, this is why we are expanding our operations in Ivory Coast. In parallel to the outsourcing trend, we also see rising consumer demand for origin chocolate. We will therefore also increase the amount of beans we source directly from farmers and cooperatives. This gives us greater control over the quality.”

 

Barry Callebaut has four factories in Ivory Coast, and employs some 500 local staff in Abidjan and in San Pedro. The planned increased direct cocoa sourcing and processing activities in Ivory Coast will create around 60 new jobs.

 

Ivory Coast is the world’s largest cocoa producer. Cocoa is grown on about 1 million small family-owned cocoa farms. To help the cocoa farmers improve the quality and quantity of their crop, Barry Callebaut launched the “Partenaire de Qualité” program in 2005. The program trains cocoa farmers in farming methods, enabling them to produce more and better-quality cocoa beans and to increase their income, and also sensitizes them for working conditions. As part of this program, Barry Callebaut is now supporting the construction of a medical center in Goh, a village 60 km southwest of San Pedro, where Barry Callebaut has a production facility.