Cargill has announced a transformation of its global cocoa supply chain, unveiling a series of interconnected investments that reduce carbon emissions, eliminate waste, and boost efficiency from cocoa origin countries in West Africa to processing hubs in Europe. The company’s upgrades span renewable energy, circular logistics, and smart infrastructure.
“Sustainability isn’t a single project at Cargill—it’s how we operate. From circular waste reuse to renewable transport and clean energy, we’re showing that climate action can scale without compromise.”
– Emiel van Dijk, Managing Director of Cocoa & Chocolate Europe and West Africa.
In Côte d’Ivoire, cocoa shells once discarded are now used to fuel biomass boilers. In Ghana, a solar plant powers production in Tema, and new ISO tanks are replacing disposable packaging, providing the opportunity to cut up to 100 metric tons of waste each month.
Once the beans and semi-finished cocoa products produced in origin arrive in Europe, they enter a fully integrated logistics network. Cargill stores beans in solar-powered warehouses near Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and transports them to its factory in Zaandam using the world’s first fully electric barges—eliminating 190,000 kg of CO₂ emissions annually. The electricity for these vessels, and for Cargill’s Dutch facilities, comes from Windpark Hanze, a renewable energy partnership with Vattenfall.
After processing
Cargill reuses cocoa shells as fuel in its new biomass boiler in Amsterdam, which will cut greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 19,000 tons each year. Together with the wind farm Cargill and Vattenfall operate in partnership with Windpark Hanze, and the CO₂ emissions reduction reaches 31,000 tons per year, representing a reduction of site CO₂ emissions of up to 90%.
The final leg of the journey continues with low-emission transport. They ship semi-finished cocoa products to Wormer—home to the world’s largest cocoa processing site—using BIO LNG trucks and store finished cocoa powder at a next-generation warehouse in Zaandam. Operated in partnership with Green Valley Cocoa Logistics, the facility features solar panels, automated vehicles, and intermodal rail and barge connections to reduce last-mile impact.
The chain ends where indulgence begins: chocolate production. Cargill uses renewable fuels and short sea shipping to deliver its semi-finished cocoa products to its own chocolate processing sites and customers across Europe, supporting its global goal to reduce supply chain emissions by 30% per ton of product by 2030.
This integrated effort also supports Cargill’s broader climate goals, which include reducing operational emissions by 10% by 2025.
As a leader in cocoa processing and supply chain management, Cargill’s efforts underscore its role in shaping a more resilient, responsible global food system.
“This is what sustainability at scale looks like. It’s measurable, circular, and designed to serve both people and the planet.”
– Emiel van Dijk, Managing Director of Cocoa & Chocolate Europe and West Africa.