Cargill advances sustainable cocoa supply chain with biomass boilers, solar power, and emission reduction targets
Company aims to cut supply chain emissions by 30% per ton of product by 2030 through renewable energy and circular practices.
USA – Cargill has unveiled a major sustainability initiative aimed at transforming its global cocoa supply chain to reduce carbon emissions and eliminate waste.
In a release issued on July 1, the food production giant outlined its commitment to cutting supply chain emissions by 30% per ton of product by 2030, alongside a 10% reduction in its operational emissions by 2025.
As part of the initiative, Cargill is implementing a range of renewable energy solutions and circular waste strategies across key operational locations. In Côte d’Ivoire, cocoa shells previously discarded are now repurposed to power biomass boilers.
Similar efforts are underway in Amsterdam, where the company is using these shells to fuel a biomass boiler, resulting in an annual reduction of nearly 19,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
Cargill’s facilities in Ghana and the Netherlands have also been equipped with solar panels to further support clean energy goals.
In Tema, Ghana, a solar power plant now supplements production activities, while in the Netherlands, cocoa beans and semi-finished products are stored in solar-powered warehouses near Amsterdam.
To reduce transport-related emissions, Cargill has introduced electric barges for shipping cocoa products to its Zaandam facility, eliminating approximately 190,000 kilograms of CO₂ annually.
The company has partnered with Windpark Hanze and Vattenfall to power its Dutch operations with renewable electricity.
After processing, semi-finished cocoa products are transported to Wormer—the site of the world’s largest cocoa processing plant—using LNG-powered trucks.
The finished cocoa powder is then stored in a warehouse in Zaandam equipped with solar panels, automated vehicles, and sustainable logistics infrastructure such as intermodal rail and barge links to minimise last-mile environmental impacts.
These measures form part of Cargill’s broader climate strategy aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of its operations while supporting circular economy practices.
Emiel van Dijk, Cargill’s managing director of cocoa in Europe and West Africa, described the campaign as “sustainability at scale” that delivers measurable results for both people and the planet.
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