The Exchange

Chocolate, the billion euro industry that tastes good and does good

In partnership with Media City

The cocoa industry is big business, worth billions of euros every year. But is our love for chocolate good for the planet and farmers? We look at how the sector is trying to be more sustainable, fair and teach consumers to be more responsible.

24/11/2021

Food and Drink

Paris Chocolate Fair gets dressed up with a fashion cake-over

The event, which was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic last year, gives visitors a chance to discover the latest innovations and taste creations.

28/10/2021

Earth News

Snack attack: Is climate change going to kill your favourite food?

Prepare to say goodbye to crucial snacks and treats as the planet’s climate shifts in the coming years.

27/09/2021

Earth News

The 8 ethical chocolate brands to buy for guilt-free gorging

We review the chocolate brands working to stop industry exploitation and help clean up the planet.

07/07/2021

Climate

What are the most eco-friendly chocolate eggs to buy this Easter?

Not all chocolate eggs are equal when it comes to their environmental impact but there are some eco-egg options.

03/04/2021

Earth News

Your chocolate Easter egg could be fuelling deforestation

Is palm oil in all kinds of chocolate? And why is it so bad for the environment?

01/04/2021

Earth News

Could chocolate be the next victim of the pandemic?

Fairtrade is working to protect cocoa farmers being hit hard by the coronavirus.

19/06/2020

Earth News

Can you imagine paying for food with rubbish? You can in London.

Chocolatier Montezuma's has opened a recycling-focused pop up shop.

13/03/2020

No Comment

Chocolate coronavirus by French baker provokes smiles

A chocolate shell sprinkled with red almonds - an edible representation of the new coronavirus made by French chocolatier Jean-Francois Pre, who took his inspiration from a 3D model of the disease

08/03/2020

Austria

Hot chocolate as thieves brazenly steal truck-load of the sweet stuff

Outsourcing turns sour for a chocolate firm as a 20,000-tonne consignment is stolen from a factory in Austria.

23/11/2019

France

Watch: Models get a taste for the sweet at Paris Chocolate Fair

The fashion show celebrated chocolate-producing countries including Peru and Ivory Coast.

30/10/2019

Earth News

Can a chocolate bar end poverty? The story of radical equality

'The Other Bar proves a combination of technology and consumer choice can tackle poverty.'

14/10/2019

World News

Ivory Coast and Ghana suspend sales of cocoa

The two African governments hope to address the imbalance between farmers' income and money made by large commodity merchants. Producers and traders agreed on this course of action as the majority of money does not reach the farmers who live in poverty.

14/06/2019

Earth News

How ethical is your chocolate?

How can we be sure that our chocolates are fair and planet friendly? A simple question with a complex answer.

20/04/2019

Earth News

This organic chocolate is made by hand... and feet

This chocolate factory in Ivory Coast has a very different approach to chocolate making than the rest of the country.

20/03/2019

Belgium

Watch: Chocolate dresses grace Brussels catwalk

One creation used 8kg of chocolate – not far off the 6kg the average Belgian eats in a year.

22/02/2019

Canada

Chefs recreate Hollywood monster King Kong with 1.8m chocolate statue

Two chefs have created a 1.8 metre statue of King Kong scaling the Empire State Building made entirely of milk chocolate

14/02/2019

Germany

It's as real as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will ever get

It looked like a scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. A street in a small town near Dortmund, Germany, had a ‘river’ of chocolate after a local factory spill.

12/12/2018

United Kingdom

Mutiny on the Bounty: consumers upset over advent calendar chocolates

'Christmas is cancelled!': consumers express shock on social media after discovering coconut Bounty is first in this year's Celebrations advent calendar.

03/12/2018

Europe

Brexit consequences hint at Mars bar shortage

Chocolate lovers in the UK take note. In the event of a No Deal Brexit the UK could run out of Mars bars within a matter of weeks. Buzzfeed news reports that Britain's environment minister Michael Gove was warned by industry that two key ingredients are imported and perish within days.

19/11/2018