TORONTO — Many Canadians reach for chocolate each week, but a new study commissioned by Nestlé shows Canucks aren’t knowledgeable about the commodity and are unaware of the threats to the global cocoa supply, due to diseased and low-yield crops and ongoing geo-political upheaval.
“There’s no question while people love chocolate, many have very little idea how cocoa is grown or the challenges facing this valued commodity,” said Dr. Sergine Diop, GM of Nestlé’s Research and Development Centre in the Ivory Coast — where nearly 40 per cent of the world’s cocoa supply is produced. The survey found 42 per cent of respondents presumed cocoa comes from Ecuador, while only 27 per cent correctly identified West Africa as the source of most of the world’s supply.
The Nestlé Cocoa Plan, a $120-million initiative to improve cocoa sustainability, has developed and distributed millions of higher-yielding, disease-resistant plantlets to farmers. Canada is one of the first to introduce Cocoa Plan-sourced chocolate, now available in Nestlé’s top-selling brands.
