Barry Callebaut’s adoption of cocoa-free ChoViva signals a growing push by chocolate manufacturers to reduce dependence on traditional cocoa supplies, Jon Offei-Ansah reports
Keypoints:
- Barry Callebaut adds cocoa-free ChoViva to its commercial portfolio
- Alternative chocolate technologies are gaining momentum globally
- Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire face a changing cocoa market landscape
SWISS chocolate giant Barry Callebaut has taken a step that could reshape discussions about the future of the global cocoa industry, announcing the addition of cocoa-free chocolate alternative ChoViva to its commercial portfolio.
The development is being closely watched in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, which together produce roughly 60 percent of the world’s cocoa and remain at the centre of global chocolate supply chains.
For Africa, which produces more than 70 percent of the world’s cocoa, the development highlights a broader shift taking place across the chocolate industry. While cocoa remains central to premium chocolate production, manufacturers are increasingly investing in alternative ingredients and technologies that could reduce dependence on conventional cocoa supplies and reshape parts of the global market over time.
Why Barry Callebaut’s move matters
ChoViva was developed by German start-up Planet A Foods as part of a project aimed at recreating the taste, texture and sensory experience of chocolate without using cocoa beans.
Instead, the company uses a process involving fermented and roasted sunflower and grape seeds, combined with ingredients such as sugar, milk and fats to produce flavours resembling conventional chocolate.
Initially tested on a relatively small scale in Europe, the product has now moved into industrial production following an exclusive commercial partnership with Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest chocolate manufacturer.
‘We are very excited to broaden our capabilities and portfolio to share relevant solutions that meet changing customer and industry needs,’ Laura Bergan, Barry Callebaut’s head of brand and customer marketing, said when announcing the partnership.
Barry Callebaut’s decision is significant because the Swiss group supplies chocolate products and ingredients to many of the world’s largest food, confectionery and consumer brands. Its endorsement effectively moves cocoa-free chocolate from an experimental niche into mainstream industrial production.
The decision also reflects growing concern among manufacturers about the stability of cocoa supplies.
Global cocoa production has faced mounting pressure in recent years due to ageing plantations, disease outbreaks, lower productivity and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns linked to climate change.
These challenges contributed to an unprecedented price surge that pushed cocoa futures to a record high of nearly $13,000 per tonne in late 2024 before retreating sharply during 2025 and early 2026.
While prices have moderated, market analysts say volatility remains a major concern for manufacturers planning production months in advance.
Industry data already suggest that higher cocoa prices are changing consumption patterns. Cocoa grinding volumes, a key indicator of demand, have weakened in Europe, North America and parts of Asia as manufacturers reformulate products and consumers respond to rising confectionery prices.
Speaking to Ecofin Agency earlier this year, analyst Edward George said cocoa demand was already weakening in major consumer markets as manufacturers reduced cocoa usage and consumers adjusted spending habits in response to higher prices.
A wider technological race
ChoViva’s commercial rollout is part of a wider effort by chocolate manufacturers to reduce supply risks and diversify sourcing options.
As Africa Briefing previously reported in Nestlé cocoa hack, major industry players are exploring ways to extract more value from existing cocoa harvests and improve supply-chain efficiency.
At the same time, alternative production technologies continue to gain momentum. Africa Briefing examined these developments in Lab-grown cocoa: A threat to organic producers?, which highlighted growing investment in cultivated cocoa and biotechnology-based solutions.
Around the world, companies are pursuing different approaches to achieve similar goals.
Israeli start-up Celleste Bio recently announced the development of milk chocolate made using laboratory-grown cocoa butter, while Swiss start-up Food Brewer is pursuing cocoa production from cultivated plant cells.
In the United Kingdom, food technology company Nukoko has developed a fermentation process that transforms fava beans into ingredients capable of reproducing chocolate-like flavours.
Although many of these projects remain in pilot or pre-commercial phases, they collectively point to a growing industry effort to diversify supply sources and improve resilience against future market disruptions.
Economics may drive adoption
Beyond supply concerns, cost considerations could accelerate adoption if cocoa-free products gain wider consumer acceptance.
Early commercial examples suggest the economics could be compelling. According to reporting cited by Ecofin Agency, French confectionery manufacturer Abtey sold ChoViva-based products for about €28 per kilogram in 2024, compared with roughly €48 per kilogram for traditional milk chocolate.
That price difference helps explain why manufacturers facing volatile cocoa markets may be willing to experiment with alternative ingredients, particularly in products where chocolate flavour can be replicated without relying entirely on cocoa beans.
What it means for Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire
For African producers, particularly Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, the emergence of cocoa alternatives does not necessarily represent an immediate threat.
International food standards established under the Codex Alimentarius framework require products marketed as chocolate to contain minimum levels of cocoa-derived ingredients. As a result, alternatives such as ChoViva cannot currently replace conventional chocolate entirely.
Premium chocolate manufacturers also continue to rely heavily on the distinctive flavour profile and quality characteristics associated with natural cocoa.
However, the risk may emerge in mass-market segments.
Products such as biscuits, breakfast cereals, confectionery fillings and ice cream often use chocolate flavouring where complete cocoa substitution may be technically easier and economically attractive.
If alternatives become cheaper, more scalable and more widely accepted by consumers, they could gradually capture part of the demand currently met by conventional cocoa ingredients.
From commodity supplier to premium producer
The rise of cocoa-free products may ultimately reinforce the need for producing countries to move beyond volume-focused export strategies.
Industry experts increasingly argue that future competitiveness will depend on premiumisation, traceability, sustainability certification and value addition rather than simply increasing bean output.
If lower-cost alternatives capture parts of the mass market, authentic cocoa could become more valuable in premium and speciality segments where origin, quality and sustainability credentials matter most.
For countries such as Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, that could accelerate efforts to strengthen local processing industries, develop premium cocoa brands and capture a larger share of value within global supply chains.
The emergence of cocoa-free chocolate does not signal the end of cocoa’s dominance. Yet the involvement of major industry players such as Barry Callebaut demonstrates that alternatives are moving from experimental projects into commercial reality.
The long-term question for Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire is no longer simply how much cocoa they can produce. It is whether they can capture more value from every tonne through processing, branding and sustainability credentials as technology gives manufacturers new ways to reduce their dependence on the bean itself.