Going certified is no silver bullet. Alone, it will not ensure a
stable cocoa supply at a reasonable price nor will it even
guarantee that a child has not handled the cocoa. However, If
the entire industry were to set deadlines to source only
certified cocoa from organisations such as Rainforest Alliance,
UTZ or Fairtrade, farmers would be better trained, yields would
increase, prices would come down and the next generation of
farmers would come to produce higher quality beans. What’s at
stake? A consecutive deficit in 2012/13 is set to move cocoa
prices higher as supply struggles to meet rising demand,
according to Rabobank. Failing to act on a sustainable cocoa
supply will lead to further volatility. Blommer Chocolate’s
sustainability head Kip Walk recently told this site that if the
industry failed to address cocoa sustainability “you’ll have
skyrocketing prices over the next 10 years”, adding that in the
longer term the next generation of farmers won’t see cocoa
growing as a way forward, leading crops to