The Chocolate Industry Has A Lot of Problems. Could Direct Sourcing Help Brands Solve Them?

Triple Pundit | The $100 billion chocolate industry has reached a critical crossroads, with rising global demand for chocolate contrasting starkly with the dire livelihoods of cacao farmers and the drastic environmental impacts of traditional agricultural practices. Alexi Ernstoff, Global Science Lead at Quantis, dug into the issue with Triple Pundit, emphasizing that waiting will only make the transition to sustainable business operations more costly and challenging. She says that “the goal is to reach that middle 60 percent of companies, bring the evidence [to] show them they need to make changes, and convince them that this is extremely important.” By prioritizing long-term benefits over short-term gains, the cacao industry can avoid reputational and ethical risks associated with unsustainable practices.