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You may have noticed things getting a little fishy here at TriplePundit over the past few months, as we dive into the environmental and social impact of the seafood industry in an in-depth series. You can explore the series here to read each post in full. But in case you're pressed for time (it is Friday after all), this list will give you the need-to-know facts and trends in the burgeoning sustainable seafood movement. Give it a read, and impress your friends at the oyster bar happy hour after work.

1. 87 percent of the world's wild fisheries are stressed

To keep up with demand for certain species, massive commercial fishing vessels empty large swaths of water in one pass, then simply move on to another. Known as overfishing, the serial depletion of fish populations that leaves few adult fish to repopulate the seas, this phenomenon poses a real and imminent threat to ocean biodiversity.

According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization 87 percent of the wild fisheries globally are stressed. That is, they’re either over exploited, fished at the maximum level, are depleted or are working toward recovery. Meanwhile, demand for fish is outpacing the growth in the human population. While the world’s population grows at 1.7 percent annually, fish production grows at 3.2 percent annually.

2. About a third of our fish is mislabeled

An estimated 33 percent of seafood sold in the United States is incorrectly labeled by type of fish, catch method or provenance, according to a recent report by conservation group Oceana. This is not a new problem—there have been documented cases going back to at least the 1930s when canneries tried to pass off mackerel for pricier salmon. But now, with the falling price of computing power and tech-enabled tracking devices starting to change traceability methods, technology is fast-becoming an unlikely hero in the traditional world of seafood.

3. Our oceans are acidifying faster than ever

Though direct actions like overfishing cause rightful concern, indirect actions can also pose a significant threat to our oceans and the fish that call them home--namely accelerated warming caused by climate change. To put it simply: As the Earth warms, so do the oceans—causing increasing rates of acidification that concern scientists and lawmakers alike.

President Barack Obama noted acidification as a key climate-related concern in an Executive Order he issued last year urging Americans to embrace climate change awareness. Scientists note that acidification has happened before in Earth’s history—but never at such rapid rate. The most comparable event, which took place about 65 million years ago, is estimated to be 10 times slower than current acidification.

4. Traceability is as good for bottom lines as it is for fish

Between mislabeling, overfishing, and  illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices, the notoriously opaque seafood supply chain is rife with issues that affect both our oceans and corporate bottom lines. Think of it this way: Without traceability, a company that's doing things the right way is forced to place their product on store shelves next to a cheaper product from an irresponsible company that cut costs by using unsustainable methods.

Luckily, better data may offer a solution to seafood traceability woes. "Better data means going beyond murky definitions of traceability systems to verified data. This is not a foreign idea to supply chains: Couple product data with time and location stamps, and an auditable trail of information is produced — one that could be demonstrably free of illegal fish, for example," wrote Cheryl Dahle, founder of Future of Fish, in a recent post on TriplePundit.

5. CSFs are the new CSAs

Looking for the new foodie-centric trend? Don't worry, we're not trying to sell you on some crazy Cronut-cupcake hybrid. We're talking about community supported fisheries (CSFs). A spinoff of the community supported agriculture (CSA) programs born of the local food movement, CSFs shorten the seafood supply chain by providing restaurants and grocery stores with access to premium, locally caught and sustainable seafood.

By giving local, responsible fishermen direct access to restaurants, grocers and distributors, the distance from sea to plate shrinks immeasurably--allowing far less room for mislabeling and other illegal practices and giving hometown fisheries a chance to shine.

6. Companies are revisiting aquaculture as a solution

Aquaculture has a somewhat problematic past in terms of environmental impacts, but with improved methods and technology on the rise, a growing number of companies and organizations are revisiting aquaculture to meet the needs of a growing global population.

From "net pen" operations off the coast of Hawaii to food desert solutions in the big city, the aquaculture industry is expanding to new heights. TriplePundit recently paid a visit to Redkey, Indiana to check out Bell Aquaculture, a particularly promising fish farm--touring their facility and bringing you up-close videos so you can see how it all works.

7. 200 million people depend on fish for their livelihoods

In a recent post on TriplePundit, Future of Fish founder Cheryl Dahle recognizes that the wide range of issues facing the seafood industry may tempt some eco-minded consumers to skip fish altogether. But she then goes on to present this food for thought: "Before you give up and order lasagna, remember that jobs depend on fish: 200 million of them globally, directly or indirectly."

Rather than eliminating fish from our diets for sustainability reasons, Dahle argues a more productive approach is to change the way we think about seafood and embrace fish with story.

Images courtesy of ThisFish; Pixabay

"We see one of the important components of our business as fish nutrition," Norman McCowan, CEO of Bell Aquaculture, told us on a recent visit to the company's fish farm in Redkey, Indiana.

Out of all animal proteins, fish has the most favorable feed conversion ratio (FCR). Sometimes called feed to weight ratio, this figure refers to the amount of feed (in kilograms) it takes an animal to convert to weight. Beef, for example, requires 7 kilograms of feed to gain 1 kilogram of weight, while fish can be closer to a one-to-one ratio.

However, when it comes to aquaculture, the topic of feed is a bit more controversial--especially when it comes to farming carnivorous species. In earlier, less sustainable aquaculture endeavors, carnivorous fish were often given feed containing high proportions of fish protein, often derived from wild caught fish--which, as one may guess, kind of defeats the purpose of using aquaculture to combat overfishing while meeting the world's growing demand for fish.

But Bell, as we were happy to discover, is not one of those fish farms. The company devotes a good chunk of its time and resources to developing the most nutritious and sustainable feed possible. Taking things a step further, Bell acquired Integral Fish Foods out of Grand Junction, Colorado in 2013, allowing the company to directly control the feed it uses.

By utilizing locally sourced, plant-based proteins, such as soy, algae and wheat, Bell is able to feed its fish a mostly vegetarian diet. Its feed does not contain controversial fish meal (often made from wild caught fish) and is made up of only about 6 percent fish oil--giving the company a fish-in, fish-out ratio that's less than one-to-one. Additionally, creating their own feed recipes allows Bell's fish pros to tailor the ingredients to fit every stage in a fish's life.

"We concentrate on nutritionally profiling [our fish's] diet after the species, looking at what that fish needs in each lifecycle of its life," McCowan explained.

With so much research going into finding the right plant-based feed, Bell realized it could offer its knowledge and product to other fish farms as well. To expand its feed production, Bell will open an on-site feed mill at its fish farm in Redkey, Indiana this summer, producing as much as 2.2 million pounds of plant-based fish feed every month. Since the company only uses about 2.5 million pounds of feed annually, sales of the remaining feed–made mostly from locally-farmed ingredients–is expected to comprise another 20 percent of the company’s revenue stream, if not more, predicts Becky Priebe, marketing director for Bell.

This move brings the company one step closer to its vertically integrated model and transforms the Bell fish farm into something akin to an all-American manufacturer: Locally sourced ingredients come in, and local food comes out in the form of sustainably farmed seafood. The company's expertise with fish feed formulation--and aquaculture in the macro sense--also helps other fledgling aquaculture ventures around the country produce a more sustainable product.

"If you come to me and say, 'I'm raising trout' ... I can custom make your feed for your farm and your fish," explained Lucas Porter, feedmill manager for Bell. "That's the whole philosophy and the goal behind what we want to do with Bell Aquaculture feed."

Stay tuned for more coverage from our trip–including an inside look at Bell’s fish–coming soon on TriplePundit.

If the Keystone XL pipeline goes ahead, TransCanada will have to step up its safety measures. That’s the word from the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), which instituted two new regulations to address issues like bad welds and defective pipeline coating that were found in Keystone's southern leg.

Keystone XL inspections: Faulty welds

Inspections by PHMSA revealed that there had been an inordinate number of welds that required repairs. This was revealed in two warning letters issued last year, which highlighted the need to increase safety measures. One of the letters, issued last September, noted a 72 percent repair rate for welds conducted over a one-week period. During another week, 205 of 425 welds had to be redone.

According to the letter, PHMSA alleges that TransCanada is hiring welders who don’t have the specialized experience for this work, and are consequently using the wrong welding techniques. Welders are apparently required to pass a test demonstrating their familiarity with pipeline construction work.

A November 2013 report also highlighted an exceptional number of times in which construction workers were required to dig up and repair defects in the pipes themselves. According to PHMSA records, workers were required to remove and repair piping 125 times that was at risk of bending or sagging, causing increased risk for spills.

New requirements, new costs for Keystone XL

So in January, PHMSA quietly added two new requirements to the appendices of the State Department’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). These requirements will cost TransCanada substantially more money, but they also presumably raise the bar in terms of expectations for any go-ahead of the northern portion of the Keystone XL pipeline.

Per the EIS, TransCanada would be required to hire a third-party contractor to oversee construction and report on any construction issues or oversights. And no, TransCanada doesn’t get to approve the choice of the contractor. PHMSA does.

The federal government would also require the company to design and enforce a quality management program to ensure that the pipeline is “built to the highest standards by both Keystone personnel and its many contractors.”

The new requirements raise the list of “special conditions” to 59 stipulations that TransCanada must agree to and enforce for the project to go ahead. Given the significant financial benefits from this project, it’s doubtful that new conditions numbered 58 and 59 will quash the project.

Private contractors and PHMSA cutbacks

But they do give PHMSA a bit more late-night peace of mind about potential spills. And judging by the department’s recent news about staffing changes, that will be well-timed. Apparently PHMSA expects to cut its staff by as much as 9 percent in mid-June.  Last year’s offer to employees of a buyout deal received 13 takers, and as of this month, the number has risen to about 40.

PHMSA hasn’t said how this jibes with the increased number of pipeline spills that it’s had to deal with this year, but maybe the new privately paid contractors that TransCanada would be expected to pay for will catch on as a way to decrease costs for a beleaguered federal department that knows a lot more oversight is needed at pipeline construction sites.

Decision indefinitely on hold

Meanwhile, the Obama administration has indefinitely delayed the decision of whether it will approve the construction.  It's likely that no decision would be made until after the November 2014 elections. That's of little surprise, given the controversy Keystone has kicked up, but it's particularly understandable in light of an April 2013 letter from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Department of State noting the impact Keystone could cause. According to the letter signed by Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Cynthia Giles, Keystone could add as much as 18.7 more metric tons of CO2-e (carbon dioxide equivalent) to the atmosphere than conventional crude oil.

Ouch! Talk about a hot potato.

Image credit: Keystone pipeline, 2009, Shannon Ramos

The future of our oceans, rivers, coastlines and other waterways is looking much brighter, thanks to the passing of a $12.3 billion water infrastructure projects bill by the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.

The Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) addresses management of U.S. waterways and coasts and includes billions of dollars in high-impact projects. Assuming President Barack Obama signs the bill into law, it will be the first federal water infrastructure authorization since 2007.

The bill is the product of several months of Senate-House negotiations, as the two chambers worked to resolve disagreements over which projects should receive congressional funding. When negotiations first commenced, the House had passed a partisan amendment offered by Congressman Bill Flores (R-TX) that would block the Army Corps of Engineers from implementing the National Ocean Policy, which promotes smart ocean planning and ocean protection. Conversely, the Senate included a provision offered by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), which would establish a National Endowment for the Oceans (NEO) to support conservation and restoration of ocean resources.

In the final WRDA bill, the Flores provision was axed while the Whitehouse provision passed. The Flores provision would have made it much more difficult to protect important habitat and ocean wildlife; build climate resilience; address changing ocean conditions like ocean acidification; encourage sustainable use; and provide greater certainty for businesses and other ocean users. Luckily, the provision failed and Congress preserved a policy that promotes smart ocean planning and science-based management of our resources.

The Whitehouse provision authorizes the Corps, in coordination with states, nonprofit organizations and other stakeholders, to undertake studies to determine the feasibility of projects to enhance ocean and coastal ecosystem resilience. The studies will help the Corps identify specific projects, such as restoring wetlands that offer protection from storms, making beaches more resilient to erosion and helping ecosystems adapt to sea level rise.

The measure passed despite strong opposition from the influential conservative group Heritage Action, which urged lawmakers to vote against it. Heritage Action said the bill "hikes spending while doing little to reduce bureaucracy and limit the role of the federal government." However, the bill was passed 412-4 by the House, and 91-7 in the Senate. For a branch of government that can barely pass a budget, this is a rare example of bona fide bipartisanship.

"This legislation is a reminder--an unfortunately stark reminder—that given a chance to work together in a bipartisan fashion, we can produce results for the American people," said Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.).

Image Credit: Serge Melki

Based in San Francisco, Mike Hower is a writer, thinker and strategic communicator that revels in driving the conversation at the intersection of sustainability, social entrepreneurship, tech, politics and law. He has cultivated diverse experience working for the United States Congress in Washington, D.C., helping Silicon Valley startups with strategic communications and teaching in South America. Connect with him on LinkedIn or follow him on Twitter (@mikehower)

Can garbage power your plane ride from New York to London? That’s the idea behind a new production plant that will transform waste from London’s homes and businesses into a jet fuel that costs about the same price as conventional petroleum-based fuel but burns cleaner and produces fewer carbon emissions.

Solena Fuels, a company that produces aviation and marine fuels made from solid waste, expects to break ground on its new GreenSky jet fuel facility next year on the site of a former oil refinery outside of London. British Airways has made a $550 million commitment to purchase all the fuel produced by the plant in the 11-year period after it opens in 2017–equating to about 50 tons of fuel per year.

The city of London generates approximately 18 million tons of trash per year, according to Fast Company, and once the jet fuel facility is open for business, will send about a half a million tons of garbage originally destined for the landfill to GreenSky. Solena will turn this trash into 120,000 tons of jet fuel, first using its patented high-temperature plasma gasification technology to convert the waste into a synthetic gas; then the company will utilize various third-party technologies to transform the gas into a liquid fuel. The resulting synthetic fuel works like those produced from coal and natural gas that airlines already use and, unlike biofuels such as ethanol, can be used thousands of feet up in the air, Fast Company reported. Solena’s product is considered a “drop-in” fuel, meaning airlines can use it without modifying their plane engines or fueling infrastructure.

Solena says its fuel produced from garbage burns cleaner than crude-based jet fuels, with virtually no sulfur emissions, a minimal amount of particulate matter and lower nitrogen oxide emissions during plane take-off. While British Airways is starting off small with this project (it will source only about 2 percent of its total fuel from GreenSky), the airline hopes to increase the amount of trash-based jet fuel it uses over time, Fast Company reported.

Too good to be true?

Clean-burning jet fuel from trash–it almost sounds too good to be true. And it might just be, according to anti-incineration activists who say that the kind of gasification technology Solena uses is just incineration in disguise. Wherever you sit on the debate about waste-to-energy or waste-to-product facilities, we can all agree that the GreenSky facility and Solena’s jet fuel will have environmental impacts, and it’s unclear, without further study, if this project is the most sustainable solution.

The jury is still out on which waste management method emits fewer greenhouse gas emissions: a landfill releasing the potent greenhouse gas methane as garbage decomposes or a gasification facility that produces carbon emissions as it converts waste to a product. Different studies come to various conclusions–usually in favor of the opinion of the report’s funders. Either way, we can’t be sure if GreenSky’s carbon footprint would be smaller than the amount of methane produced if the garbage was sent to the local landfill.

Like other incineration-like facilities, GreenSky will most likely produce a waste byproduct called fly ash that typically contains high concentrations of toxic metals from products like batteries and paints that end up in the waste stream. Solena Fuels’ CEO Robert Do told Fast Company that recyclables like bottles, glass and cans will be sorted out of the waste stream coming to GreenSky, but even with the best efforts of residents or waste management workers, it’s nearly impossible to extract every possible contaminant in the garbage that could result in toxic residue.

Anti-incineration advocates also point out that incinerators and gasification facilities undermine local recycling programs, essentially competing for the same feedstock.

"London has a very strong recycling program, so the waste all goes into a recycling center first," Do said. "Everything that can be recycled--bottles, glass, cans--will be recycled. The material that’s left over, that would normally go to a landfill, that’s the stuff they take to our plant."

Do and Solena seem supportive of London’s recycling efforts now, but what would happen if the city ramps up its waste reduction efforts or adopts a zero waste goal?

While it’s encouraging that British Airways is thinking outside the box to reach its sustainability goals, the airline might have missed the mark on the best ways to reduce waste and cut carbon emissions.

Image credit: British Airways

Passionate about both writing and sustainability, Alexis Petru is freelance journalist based in the San Francisco Bay Area whose work has appeared on Earth911, Huffington Post and Patch.com. Prior to working as a writer, she coordinated environmental programs for Bay Area cities and counties. Connect with Alexis on Twitter at @alexispetru

Hotels and tourism businesses worldwide have been keen to capitalize on travelers' growing “eco-consciousness.” Besides the potential boost in revenue from “green” marketing, ecologically sensitive and energy efficient design, building and operations can yield substantial savings; it can also reduce the vulnerability and risk exposure of hotel and tourism businesses to fluctuations in the prices of energy, water and environmental degradation.

Aiming to earn Platinum-level LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the family-run Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif. is installing cutting-edge energy storage and power management technology developed by Green Charge Networks.

Explaining the rationale that led to the decision, CEO Steve Farzam stated: “Shore Hotel is committed to modeling how sustainability and luxury can work together to create an incredible experience for our guests. Energy storage is a natural complement to the many measures we’ve taken to reduce our carbon footprint and achieve Gold LEED certifications.”

California's high demand charges

The demand charges California's electric utilities charge commercial and industrial customers for electricity usage during peak periods are among the highest in the nation, and on average make up 50 percent or more of businesses' electric bills. Combining historical energy usage patterns with real-time weather data, installing Green Charge's GreenStation platform could cut the Shore Hotel's demand charges by as much as 50 percent.

In contrast to standard rates for electricity usage, which are measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), demand charges are assessed according to power usage during peak-demand periods and measured in kilowatts (kW). While the former has been trending lower for California businesses over the past decade, the latter has been trending higher--rising over 7 percent annually, Green Charge explains in a press release.

As Victor Shao, CEO of Santa Clara, Calif.-based Green Charge, elaborated in a company press release:

“Many of our customers have seen significant reductions in demand charges, some by 50 percent or more. We’re excited to work with the Shore Hotel to model how energy storage can play an integral role in improving the efficiency of green buildings. This partnership further demonstrates the Shore Hotel’s commitment to sustainable building practices and power efficiency.”

Green building, EVs, and intelligent energy storage and power management

In addition to installing GreenStation, the Shore Hotel is installing an electric vehicle (EV) charging station, a decision management is taking based on the growing number of EVs guests are driving. Shore's GreenStation will help there as well, reducing demand charges from spikes in electricity usage resulting from EV charging.

The combination of ongoing cost reductions and performance enhancements in commercial and industrial-scale battery storage, smart grid and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, along with the high and more volatile costs of fossil fuel energy, is leading a growing number of businesses to make investments in energy efficiency and intelligent energy storage-power management systems.

Adding significantly to the impetus is a recently enacted California state mandate requiring that investor-owned utilities acquire 1,325 megawatts (MW) of electricity and thermal storage capacity by 2020.

In addition, California's Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) “pays $2 per watt for an energy storage solution. That's typically half the cost [of installing a GreenStation platform], which has really helped the state of affairs in California,” Shao told 3p in a recent interview.

Besides Shore Hotel, Green Charge counts 7-Eleven, Avis and Walgreens as customers. All told, the company has closed more than 2 MWs' worth of Power Efficiency Agreements.

Images courtesy of Shore Hotel and Green Charge Networks

TriplePundit reported live from the Fortune Brainstorm Green 2014 conference in Laguna Niguel, CA. Follow along on this page for ongoing video interviews with sustainability thought leaders, corporate change agents and entrepreneurs who are leading the way to a more sustainable future.

Sara Greenstein is President of UL's Supply Chain & Sustainability Team, a responsibility which covers a great deal of complexity. I had a chance to talk briefly with Sara at Fortune Brainstorm Green last week, and she covered the basics on what it means to build a more sustainable supply chain as well as insight into UL Environment's work with Dell to offer the computer industry's first ever closed loop recycling.

By Jessica Oaks

The bring your own device trend (BYOD) has gained much popularity throughout the last few years, and it’s no surprise why. The movement has many benefits, such as increased innovation and productivity, ease of collaboration, and anytime access for employees who are clocking in at all hours of the day and night. But for many companies what makes BYOD so appealing is simply the bottom line. It's a potential money saver, even with the added cost of mobile device management (MDM) to keep things running smoothly. And as expenses go, that doesn't have to be a particularly big one.

BlackBerry's BES10, for instance, is one of the most affordable MDM solutions out there. Allowing employees to work on their own devices is now feasible–even for smaller companies–from a security and administration standpoint. This accessibility may be why research and advisory firm Gartner has predicted that at least half of white collar employees in the United States will be using their own devices for work by 2017.

As for how BYOD can save a company money, it's about more than just the devices IT no longer has to buy (or the ones they do buy that end up wasted). There are several ways BYOD is already making doing business less expensive.

Employees handle their own upgrades

Outfitting employees with the latest tech takes time–days or even weeks can go by without projects being touched while IT installs and then tweaks it all. BYOD streamlines the process, saving on IT costs whether there's a company-wide shift or new members of a team coming on board. And don't ask whether workers will upgrade; ask when. The answer is roughly every 22 months for cell phones and often more frequently for devices like tablets, so a regular influx of new gear is almost guaranteed with no price tag attached.

Less waste means fewer unnecessary expenses

With employees handling things on the device side, there's almost no chance a company will invest in tech that never gets used. Cloud-based server expenses are much easier to customize because plans can be changed on the fly based on evolving needs. While ongoing subscription costs do replace the cost of devices and software licenses, they tend to be lower in the long-term.

Greater comfort = Fewer training costs

Training costs go way down when employees are utilizing technologies with which they are already comfortable. In some cases companies may be able to get at least a handful of workers up and running with no training at all so projects aren't delayed by training time. A related side benefit is that when a coworker evangelizes about a piece of tech or an app, other employees will almost always be more comfortable adopting it.

Better employee retention

More give when it comes to telecommuting and flex time (thanks to BYOD) is bound to result in happier employees and consequently fewer expenses related to HR. It turns out, though, that BYOD without those particular benefits still results in happier staff. Global consulting firm Deloitte found that workers at companies with established BYOD policies were more satisfied than any other employees.

Although half of U.S. companies are expected to implement a BYOD policy by 2017, there’s no need to wait until then. Companies can roll out the policy now and start saving green immediately.

Image credit: Flickr/PresseBox.de

Jessica Oaks is a freelance journalist who loves to cover technology news and the ways that technology makes life easier. She also blogs at FreshlyTechy.com. Check her out on Twitter @TechyJessy.

FIFA must end its ‘obscene’ insistence on World Cup host countries giving tax breaks worth hundreds of millions to the event’s corporate sponsors, a new campaign is urging.

Brazil will lose up to £312m in foregone revenue to World Cup sponsors including McDonalds, Budweiser and Johnson & Johnson, according to the campaign by InspirAction, Christian Aid’s Spanish organisation.

"The price of these tax breaks for corporate giants will be paid by people living in poverty in Brazil and that is obscene," said Isabel Ortigosa of InspirAction.

"Brazil is already one of the most unequal countries in the world. The millions that FIFA demands for its sponsors should be used for the benefit of Brazil’s many poor communities, not to enrich the already powerful."

InspirAction has launched a petition calling on FIFA President Sep Blatter to ‘give tax breaks for the World Cup sponsors the red card - and never impose these rules on World Cup host countries in the future.’

Ortigosa added: "This is money that should be used to help Brazil’s millions of poor families, for instance with better schools, hospitals and public transport, financial support for all communities affected by infrastructure projects and also through a fairer tax system."

Inequality in Brazil is so severe that the top 20 per cent of people get almost 60 per cent of all income, while the bottom 20 per cent (around 40 million people) get just 3 per cent, according to World Bank figures.

 

Picture credit: © Dan Bar | Dreamstime.com

The world’s largest chocolate companies have signed a joint agreement to improve sustainability in key cocoa-producing countries, starting with Ivory Coast and Ghana.

The companies, which include Nestlé, Hershey, Mars and Mondelez, have pledged to work with the Ivory Coast and Ghanaian governments to train farmers and promote community development.

The scheme, known as CocoaAction, is expected to improve the lives and productivity of 200,000 farmers in Ivory Coast and 100,000 farmers in Ghana, the two countries responsible for around 55% of the world's cocoa supply.

The agreement is part of the work of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), and there are plans to roll it out to other producer countries.

Barry Parkin, WCF chairman and chief sustainability officer at Mars, commented: "This agreement represents one of the most significant steps the sector is taking to make cocoa sustainable. This alignment of objectives, commitment of resources, and sharing of best practices is the type of transformative initiative that will really help farmers become more productive and secure the future of cocoa.”

Other companies that have signed up include Barry Callebaut, Ferrero and Olam International.

 

Picture credit: © Leung Cho Pan | Dreamstime.com