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☆ Cargill ingredients are probably in every meal you eat. That makes the company's environmental goals a big deal.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Cargill, the largest private company in the US, buys from farmers and ranchers in 70 countries. Some environmental groups, including Greenpeace and Stand.earth , accuse Cargill of not doing enough on those fronts. What is Cargill doing about the climate crisis? What is Cargill doing about that? (A Cargill spokesperson added that the company also offers premium payments to soy growers in South America enrolled in a company sustainability program.

Persons: Cargill, Pilar Cruz, Burger, didn't Cargill Organizations: Service, Privacy, Cargill, Greenpeace, Stand.earth, Latina, Soil Health Institute, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Innovation Fund, Tropical Forest Alliance, US, Brazil —, Gran Chaco, South America Locations: South America, Southeast Asia, Cargill, North America, Germany, Romania, Poland, Southern, Brazil, West Africa, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, South

"The increase in sugar and cocoa specifically is material," Mondelez CFO Luca Zaramella said in July. The data showed Hershey's sales volumes increasingly declined during the period as the company hiked prices. Barry Callebaut (BARN.S), the world's biggest chocolate maker supplying most major brands including Nestle (NESN.S), doesn't expect any growth in sales volumes this year. In the U.S., private label sales volumes grew nearly 9% in the year to mid-June despite near double-digit price rises, IRI data shows. Pennsylvania-based Hershey, is hoping that as it eases off the rate of price hikes, its sales volumes will reverse their current downtrend.

Persons: Mike Blake, Dirk Van de, Luca Zaramella, Patrick Folan, Mondelez, Hershey, Zaramella, Bernstein, I'd, Dan Sadler, Barry Callebaut, Hershey's, Michele Buck, Matt Scuffham, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: REUTERS, Hershey, Reuters, Consumers, Nielsen, Cadbury, Barclays, IRI, Nestle, Rabobank, El, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: Encinitas , California, Europe, North America, U.S, Pennsylvania, El Nino, West Africa, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kailyn Rhone, New York

The "AI for business" diploma offers training in data and AI for client leaders, practitioners, and WPP executives, according to WPP's website. The team work under AI expert Daniel Hulme who was appointed chief AI officer at WPP two years ago. While lawmakers and philosophers alike still debate whether content produced by generative AI models amounts to anything like human creativity, advertisers have already begun using the technology in their promotional campaigns. Unilever, which owns more than 400 brands including Dove soap and Ben & Jerry's ice cream, has its own generative AI technology that can write product descriptions for retailers' websites and digital commerce sites, it said. The company's TRESemmé haircare brand has used its AI content generator for written content and its automation tool for visual content on Amazon.co.uk (AMZN.O).

Persons: Mark Read, Read, we've, Mondelez, Shah Rukh Khan, Daniel Hulme, Nestle, Gandon, Ray, Johannes Vermeer's, Aaron Rajan, Nestle's Gandon, Martin Sorrell, You've, Ben King, Richa Naidu, Martin Coulter, Matt Scuffham, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Nestle, Unilever, Marketing, Investment, Reuters, WPP, Oreo, Cadbury, Bollywood, YouTube, Facebook, University of Oxford, Global, Google, Go, Market Technology, Consumer, Walmart, Carrefour, Kroger, Thomson Locations: Africa, India, London, Swiss, Okta

☆ Here's more evidence that it's really hard to make money picking stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

And only a handful of stocks have accounted for the bulk of wealth creation in the stock market in the last 30 years. The good news: U.S. companies are far and away the biggest drivers of stock wealth creation in the last 30 years. Stock market wealth is highly concentrated How can this be? Just five stocks accounted for 10% of global net stock market wealth creation over 31 years. The reason, as this paper demonstrates, is that stock returns are not normally distributed over time.

Persons: Hendrik Bessembinder, Johnson, Roche, Kwiechow, Tencent, Tesla, Nicholas Colas, Larry Swedroe, Swedroe, Colas Organizations: Global, CFA, Treasury, Microsoft, Apple, Walmart, Facebook, Samsung, Johnson, Taiwan Semiconductor, Nestle, U.S, DataTrek Research, Strategic, New York Stock Exchange Locations: United States, U.S, China

London/Hong Kong CNN —H&M has decided to stop operating in Myanmar following an increase in allegations of labor abuses at garment factories in the country. As of March, H&M sourced from 41 factories with nearly 42,000 workers in the country, according to company figures. Its withdrawal comes after new allegations published by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), a workers’ advocacy group. The organization has been tracking cases of alleged labor and human rights abuses against garment workers in the country for years. “Things are getting worse for garment workers — and quickly,” the organization said.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ” “, ”, doesn’t, Inditex, Spencer, Primark, “, BHRRC Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Business, Human Rights Resource, Chevron, Initiative, Human Rights, Reuters Locations: Hong Kong, Myanmar, Swedish, Zara, Stockholm, TotalEnergies, British, ”

☆ CFOs are stepping into a rapidly revolving door
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Aug 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Chief financial officers are stepping into an increasingly rapidly revolving door. loadingIn the first half of this year, 103 of the top 1,000 companies ranked by Fortune lost their CFO, according to executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles. CFOs are grappling with rising inflation and interest rates – in some cases, for the first time in their careers. High CFO turnover looks far from transitory. Follow @jennifersaba on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSTesla said on Aug. 7 that its Chief Financial Officer Zachary Kirkhorn was stepping down.

Persons: Elon Musk, Zachary Kirkhorn, Francois, Xavier Roger, Anna Manz, Fortune, Refinitiv, Ruth Porat, Morgan Stanley, Mike Cavanagh, NBCUniversal, Mike Lenz, Unilever’s, Graeme Pitkethly, Walt Disney’s, Christine McCarthy, James Kehoe, Crist Kolder, Tesla, Vaibhav Taneja, Kirkhorn, Peter Thal Larsen, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, Finance, Walgreens Boots Alliance, London Stock Exchange, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Comcast, Walgreens, CFOs, Thomson Locations: Swiss

☆ Packing your kid's lunch will be more expensive this year. The price of bread alone has gone up 30% since 2020.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Dominick Reuter | Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Inflation is cooling, but food prices remain stubbornly high, led by typical school lunch supplies. Groceries like bread, ham, lettuce, condiments, apples, and juice cost up to 15% more than last year. The lunchbox price increases are even more striking when compared against 2020: Bread prices alone have risen nearly 30%. That has sent wheat prices higher, which in turn raises prices that consumers pay, economist Paul Krugman noted. At the same time, many reported increased profits, a sign that the higher prices weren't always about offsetting higher costs for inputs like ingredients and labor.

Persons: Paul Krugman, Nestle Organizations: Service, US Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine

Burps are the top source of methane emissions from cattle. The company this spring began marketing semen with the methane trait in 80 countries. Selecting for the low methane trait could lock in lower and lower emissions for successive generations, she said. Semex is not initially charging extra for the methane trait, said Michael Lohuis, Semex's vice-president of research and innovation. Juha Nousiainen, senior vice-president at Valio, a Finnish dairy, warned that breeding cattle to burp less methane could create digestive problems.

Persons: Nathan Frandino, Loewith's, Loewith, Drew Sloan, Frank Mitloehner, University of California Davis, Mitloehner, Lactanet, Christine Baes, Baes, Michael Lohuis, Burger, Lohuis, Juha Nousiainen, Rod Nickel, Caroline Stauffer, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: Johann, REUTERS, University of California, University of Guelph, University of Alberta, biosciences, Canadian, Ottawa, Nestle, Burger King, Restaurant Brands, Thomson Locations: Fresno , California, U.S, WINNIPEG , Manitoba, Lynden , Ontario, Semex, Britain, US, Slovakia, United States, New Zealand, Valio, Winnipeg , Manitoba

☆ JPMorgan says this sector is in 'pole position' — and names 5 global stocks set to outperform
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Analysts at JPMorgan named five global stocks in a sector they described as being in "pole position," following the Federal Reserve 's latest rate hike. We address which sectors typically lead in the aftermath of the last Fed hike, Staples and Healthcare are in pole position," the analysts led by Mislav Matejka stated in a July 31 note to investors. The bank gave French food manufacturer Danone an estimated 6% earnings per share (EPS) growth for 2024, and Swiss competitor Nestle 8% for the same period. Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize is also a staples sector pick, with 7% estimated EPS growth for 2024. Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev was named by JPMorgan too, with the bank estimating EPS growth of 18% for next year.

Persons: Mislav Matejka, CNBC's Michael Bloom, Jeff Cox Organizations: JPMorgan, Federal, Fed, Staples, Healthcare, Danone, Nestle, Tesco, Budweiser, Anheuser, Busch InBev Locations: Swiss

☆ Companies are paying up to $100,000 for extreme leadership training that has employees playing military games and pretending they are Tom Cruise in 'Top Gun'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Businesses are paying for extreme leadership trainings, including "Top Gun"-style flight simulations, The New York Times reported. "Unique and challenging activities can help bridge the gaps that hybrid and remote work cause," Kobi Regev, CEO of management-training company The Squadron, told Insider over email. Workshops begin at $390 a person, and prices vary based on duration, group size, and customer needs, a spokesperson for the Squadron told Insider. "NASCAR pit stops are a very simple process that must be performed in a specific order," Papathanassiou told Insider over email. So if you were thinking of planning a virtual happier — maybe find a race car to work on instead.

Persons: they've, Cali Williams Yost, Mark Zuckerberg, Brian Chesky, Regev, Andy Papathanassiou, Papathanassiou Organizations: New York Times, Nike, Pepsi, Bank of America, The New York Times, Times, Squadron, IBM, Dell, Nestle, Israeli Air Force, NASCAR

☆ Nespresso Maker Nestlé Raised Prices More Than 9% in First Half of the Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Joshua Kirby | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/nespresso-maker-nestle-raised-prices-more-than-9-in-first-half-of-year-d2f26f17

Persons: Dow Jones, d2f26f17 Organizations: nestle

☆ The advertising winter may finally be starting to thaw
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The long advertising winter could be coming to an end in the second half of this year. There are tentative signs that the advertising winter is starting to thaw. Meta, which derives more than 98% of its revenue from advertising, reported revenue well ahead of analysts' estimates for the second quarter. To be sure, some pure-play advertising companies remain challenged. Indeed, on Thursday, the US Commerce Department said the US economy grew by 2.4% in the second quarter, which was up from 2% in the first quarter.

Persons: spenders, Kimberly, Clark, Brian Wieser, Groupe, IPG, Arthur Sadoun, It's, they're Organizations: Companies, Meta, Google, PepsiCo, Wall, Tech, Microsoft, US Commerce Department Locations: Madison

☆ Your snacks are getting more expensive. Blame these big food companies, not inflation.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But major food companies, from Nestlé to Unilever, increased prices much more than that. The world's biggest food companies spent the first half of this year raising prices, according to several earnings reports released this week. Some external factors have impacted the costs that major food companies pay to produce their products. It's especially easy for global food companies to raise prices, given that a few companies own most of the brands in many US grocery stores. But there's some evidence that consumers aren't willing to put up with higher food prices indefinitely.

Persons: PepsiCo's, Ramon Laguarta, We've, James Quincey, Quincey, PepsiCo's Laguarta Organizations: Consumer, Unilever, Service, PepsiCo, Quaker Oats, Gatorade, Federal Reserve, New York Times, Walmart, Costco, Sam's Locations: Nestlé, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Clorox, Kingsford, Europe

LONDON, July 27 (Reuters) - Nestle (NESN.S) improved its full-year organic sales outlook and reported better-than-expected first-half organic sales, as the world's biggest packaged food company again raised prices to cope with higher input costs. Nestle said it is narrowing its full-year organic sales growth guidance - which does not include the impact of currency movements and acquisitions - to a range of 7%-8% from a range of 6-8%. Real internal growth - or sales volumes - fell 0.8% versus expectations of a 0.6% decline. "We're still repairing our gross margin," he added. Reckitt reported sales volumes for the second quarter were down 4.3%, Unilever's quarterly volumes were down 0.3% and Danone's second-quarter volume/mix declined 2.3%.

Persons: Nestle, Mark Schneider, Schneider, Jean, Philippe Bertschy, Reckitt, Richa Naidu, Kim Coghill, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Nestle, Unilever, Thomson Locations: Swiss, Ukraine

☆ Live updates: Russia's war in Ukraine, losses in Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Catherine Ivill/Getty Images/FILEWhen Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a slew of Western companies left in protest. But some of the world’s biggest firms — including Nestlé, Heineken and snack maker Mondelez — stayed put. Companies now find themselves caught between Western sanctions and public outrage on the one hand, and an increasingly hostile Russian government on the other. The Kremlin is making it more difficult for Western firms to sell their Russian assets — and imposing steep discounts and punitive taxes when they do. “Western companies are now caught between a rock and a hard place.”Read the full story here.

Persons: Telia Parken, Catherine Ivill, —, Vladimir Putin, Carlsberg, Maria Shagina, ” Organizations: Carlsberg, UEFA Europa, FC Kobenhavn, Celtic FC, Telia, Nestlé, Heineken, Companies, Danone, Breweries, International Institute for Strategic Studies, CNN Locations: Copenhagen, Denmark, Russia, Ukraine

This brings the total impairments related to Russia to almost 700 million euros, Danone said. The adjustment on the balance sheet of 500 million euros to reflect the negative currency transaction difference will also be recognized by Dec. 31, it added. Danone also reported a better-than-expected rise in quarterly like-for-like sales, as it increased prices again to make up for rising costs. Like-for-like sales rose 6.4% in the second quarter, beating expectations for 5.6% growth in a company-compiled consensus of 18 analysts. ($1 = 0.9047 euros)Reporting by Richa Naidu; Editing by Edmund Klamann, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Danone, Richa Naidu, Edmund Klamann, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Conor Humphries Organizations: France's Danone, Danone, Evian, Nestle, Thomson Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine

☆ Kraft Heinz looks to revive Maxwell House brand with new instant iced latte with foam
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

At 131 years old, Maxwell House is no spring chicken, and most of its loyal drinkers aren't either. But Kraft Heinz is looking to revive the coffee brand by appealing to younger consumers with its new iced latte with foam, its first product launch in nearly a decade. Even within the instant coffee segment, Maxwell House ranks third, trailing Nestle's Nescafe and JM Smuckers' Folgers in U.S. market share, according to Euromonitor International data. But with its new Iced Latte with Foam, Maxwell House hopes to bridge that gap and win over new customers. The iced latte with foam is available nationwide at major retailers and on Amazon and comes in three flavors: vanilla, hazelnut and caramel.

Persons: Maxwell, aren't, Kraft Heinz, Nescafe, Smuckers, Dunkin Organizations: Maxwell House, Euromonitor, Starbucks, Maxwell, Kraft Locations: U.S

☆ Why are so many Western firms staying put in Russia, despite the rising risks?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

London CNN —When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a slew of Western companies left in protest. Companies now find themselves caught between Western sanctions and public outrage on the one hand, and an increasingly hostile Russian government on the other. The Kremlin is making it more difficult for Western firms to sell their Russian assets — and imposing steep discounts and punitive taxes when they do. Both companies had been finalizing sales to local buyers when President Vladimir Putin signed an order nationalizing their local assets earlier this month. Spurred by sweeping Western sanctions, oil companies, automakers, technology firms, consultancies and banks led the initial wave of departures.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Carlsberg, Maria Shagina, Andrey Rudakov, Konstantin Zavrazhin, Hein Schumacher, Schumacher, ”, ” Procter, Gamble, ” Mondelez, Fortum Oyj, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, ” Sonnenfeld, — Olesya Dmitracova Organizations: London CNN, Nestlé, Heineken, Companies, Danone, Carlsberg, Breweries, International Institute for Strategic Studies, CNN, Bloomberg, Getty, Yale University, Yale, Unilever, UL, Procter, Gamble, Treasury, Foreign, Control, Carlsberg — Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Lyubuchany, Rosneft, Moscow, Russian

☆ Unilever quarterly sales beat estimates, boost shares
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoSummaryCompanies Underlying sales, price, volume growth beat forecastsPast peak cost inflation -finance chiefFocus is on volume growth -finance chiefShares jump 5%LONDON, July 25 (Reuters) - Unilever (ULVR.L) on Tuesday beat underlying sales growth forecasts after again raising prices to offset higher costs, boosting shares in the maker of Dove soap and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. The British company reported a 7.9% rise in underlying second-quarter sales, beating analysts' average forecast of 6.4%, a company-provided consensus showed. The company said it expects underlying sales growth for the full year to be above 5%, ahead of its multi-year range, with underlying price growth continuing to moderate through the year. Unilever said the percentage of its "business winning market share" had reduced to 41%. The metric assesses what percentage of the company's revenue is coming from areas in which it is gaining market share on a rolling 12-month basis.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Hein Schumacher, Alan Jope, Jochen Kurz, Alan, Kurz, Graeme Pitkethly, Janus Henderson, Bernstein, Bruno Monteyne, Hein Schumacher’s, Richa Naidu, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, Unilever, British, Kurz, Rivals, Nestle, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine

Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on June 9 he had secured a pledge from 75 food companies to cut prices. French shoppers have paid more than 20% more for Nestle products each month since January versus last year, the data showed, and price increases peaked at 36.6% in May. Nestle, whose brands include Maggi stock cubes and Kit Kat chocolate bars, declined to comment. Similarly, stores sold products made by Activia yogurt owner Danone for between 11.2% and 16.7% more than last year in the first six months of the year. The NielsenIQ data shows the final prices retailers charge shoppers, and does not necessarily only reflect the prices food companies ask for from stores.

Persons: Arnd, Bruno Le Maire, Bernstein, Kat, Le Maire's, Jack Martin, Janus Henderson, Gaurav Gooptu, Richa Naidu, Sybille de La, Matt Scuffham, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Swiss, Nestle, REUTERS, Danone, Finance, Reuters, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Oberon Investments, U.S, Consumers, BNP, Thomson Locations: Bern, Konolfingen, Switzerland, France

☆ India is said to be an 'oasis' in the desert. Here are some sectors to watch for
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Major economies were hit by higher inflation during the Covid-19 pandemic, but India's inflation was already elevated. In June, India's inflation rate was 4.81%, which remains within the Reserve Bank of India's tolerance band of 2% to 6%. There is a paradigm shift and flight of capital from Indian households savings to equity to contribute to the India growth story," Azeez told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" last week. "So whichever way one looks at the economic numbers, India appears as an oasis in the global desert," he added. watch nowHowever, Matthew Asia's Mittal said that instead of buying into pharmaceutical companies, upstream companies such as Syngene will be a good investment opportunity.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Darren Robb, Feroze Azeez, Anand, Azeez, CNBC's, Nifty, it'll, Soumya Rajan, Peeyush Mittal, Nilesh Shah, Shah, Financials, Rajan, Waterfield's Rajan, We've, we've, Hindenburg, Matthews, Mittal, India's, Nestle, Kotak's Shah, Punit Paranjpe, Matthew Asia's Mittal Organizations: Bank, Getty, Wealth, Reserve Bank, Monetary Fund, Waterfield, Matthews Asia, CNBC, Mahindra Asset Management, IDFC, IDFC Ltd, HDFC Bank, Housing Development Finance Corporation, India's HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finance, Mahindra Finance, Nestle, World Bank, Nurphoto, Hindustan Unilever, Britannia Industries, Manufacturing Global, Godrej Aerospace, Afp Locations: India, United Kingdom, Japan, Mumbai, China, Nestle India, LuLu, Lulu, Kerala

London/Atlanta CNN —Moscow has seized control of the Russian subsidiaries of French yogurt maker Danone and Danish brewer Carlsberg, highlighting risks facing foreign firms that continue to do business in the country. The decision follows a decree Putin signed in April that allows the government to place foreign assets in the country under its temporary control if Russian assets abroad are seized or threatened. At the time, the Russian government took control of utilities owned by German energy company Uniper and Finland’s Fortum Oyj. Baltika is one of the largest consumer goods companies in Russia and employs 8,400 people, according to Carlsberg’s website. Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg/Getty Images/FileDanone (DANOY) is also in the process of selling its Russian business.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Baltika, Putin, Russia —, ”, Andrey Rudakov Organizations: London, Atlanta CNN —, Danone, Carlsberg, Russian, Heineken, Nestlé, Unilever, UL, Companies, Baltika Breweries, Breweries, Bloomberg, Getty, Danone Russia Locations: Atlanta, Atlanta CNN — Moscow, Russian, Russia, Ukraine, St . Petersburg

☆ Strong U.S. demand eases pressure on Novo to show weight-loss drug's health benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Investors had been banking on the study results being the next big driver of the company's shares. That's due to high demand and after Novo raised its profit outlook in April, said Berenberg analyst Kerry Holford. If the risk reduction was between 10 and 14%, shares would decrease by less than 5%. A year ago, investors said a risk reduction of 10 to 14% in the trial would put significant downward pressure on the stock, Holford said. Barclays analyst Emily Field said a risk reduction as low as 11% could boost the stock.

Persons: Novo, Kerry Holford, Holford, Emily Field, Maggie Fick, Josephine Mason, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Soaring U.S, Novo Nordisk's, Nestle, UBS, Reuters, Barclays, May, BMO Global Asset Management, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Danish, United States

☆ Exclusive: Ivory Coast halts cocoa forward sales as rains hit production
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Ange Aboa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SummaryCompanies Torrential rains hit Ivory Coast cocoa farmsIvory Coast CCC cocoa regulator says output could declineBlack pod fungal disease spreading in farmsABOISSO, Ivory Coast, July 13 (Reuters) - Ivory Coast has stopped selling contracts for cocoa exports for the 2023-2024 season after heavy rains battered and flooded farms in the world's top cocoa-producing nation in recent weeks, the head of the country's cocoa sector regulator told Reuters. Ivory Coast is in the middle of its April to November rainy season. But Ivory Coast and other major cocoa producers Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon that account for around 70% of global production, have witnessed heavy tropical downpours in recent weeks. On May 15, tropical rains fell continuously for eight hours with unprecedented intensity in the Aboisso region in southeastern Ivory Coast, farmers and residents told Reuters. Farmers, cocoa pod counters, and cocoa exporters based in Ivory Coast, also told Reuters that they expected a significant decline in output during the first part of the main harvest.

Persons: Yves Brahima Kone, Barry Callebaut, Kone, Jean Paul Kadjo, Soubre, Kouman Kouadio, Kouadio, CCC's Kone, Ange Aboa, Bate Felix, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Ivory Coast, Reuters, United Nations, Cocoa Council, Cargill, Hershey, Nestle, Plantations, Thomson Locations: Ivory, ABOISSO, Ivory Coast, United, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Aboisso, Farmers, Akressi, San Pedro, Tai

There are also some voluntary credits for mechanically removing CO2 directly from the air, which are currently much more expensive. In June, the CFTC—the federal regulator of derivatives—created an environmental task force focused on rooting out fraud in carbon markets. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS How can we build trust in carbon offsets? A parallel effort by the Voluntary Carbon Market Integrity Initiative, or VCMI, is setting rules for the buyers of offsets. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has created an environmental task force focused on rooting out fraud in carbon markets and has called on whistleblowers to expose misconduct.

Persons: don’t, Nestlé, ”, Danny Cullenward, John Kerry, Morgan Stanley, Perrier, San, Ian McGinley, hasn’t, Guy Turner, ” Turner, andrew kelly, Mark Kenber, ” Kenber, William McDonnell, ” McDonnell, Dieter Holger Organizations: Futures Trading Commission, Sustainable Business, Institute, Carbon, American University . “, European Union, American University “, Paris Agreement, Council, Voluntary, Initiative, Trove, Futures, Reuters, dieter.holger Locations: U.S, San Pellegrino, Paris

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