How Cargill Is Cutting Cocoa Supply Chain Emissions
Cargill is making its cocoa supply chain more sustainable, with a full-scale effort stretching from farms in Côte d’Ivoire to warehouses in Amsterdam.
The company is shifting how it sources, processes and delivers cocoa in order to lower its environmental impact, reduce waste and move closer to its 2030 emissions targets.
This isn’t a marketing exercise – it’s about designing a system that serves farmers, customers and the planet without compromise.
Energy from shells and sun
The process starts at origin. In West Africa, where Cargill partners with cocoa farmers, waste once destined for disposal is now a valuable resource.
Cocoa shells, previously thrown away, are burned in biomass boilers, generating energy on site.
In Tema, Ghana, solar power is driving production facilities, replacing fossil fuels and providing consistent, clean energy for processing.
Packaging is another target. Instead of relying on single-use containers for shipping cocoa butter, Cargill now uses ISO tanks – large, reusable industrial containers. That change alone cuts an estimated 100 tonnes of waste every month.
For Emiel van Dijk, Managing Director of Cocoa & Chocolate Europe and West Africa, it’s not just about individual improvements but their combined impact: “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.”
Electric barges and solar-powered storage
Once cocoa reaches Europe, the low-emissions approach continues. In the Netherlands, cocoa beans are stored in solar-powered warehouses just outside Amsterdam.
From there, electric barges move them up the river to Zaandam, where they’re processed – completely cutting diesel from this leg of the journey. The result is a saving of 190,000kg of CO₂ each year.
Cargill is also reusing shells in its Amsterdam facilities, feeding them into local biomass boilers. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions by almost 19,000 tonnes annually—evidence that waste reduction and renewable energy can go hand-in-hand.
Marijn Moesbergen, Cocoa Sourcing Director, explains the thinking behind Cargill’s Dutch hub: “This location allows us to operate at scale while reducing our environmental footprint. By investing in infrastructure like this, we improve logistics efficiency, reduce emissions and ensure that cocoa arrives safely and responsibly at the heart of the European supply chain.”
Greener transport for the last mile
Transport is a major focus area for reducing emissions. Cargill is deploying BIO LNG trucks – vehicles powered by bio-based liquefied natural gas derived from organic waste.
These trucks move semi-finished cocoa products to Zaandam’s warehouse, which runs on solar power and uses automated guided vehicles to reduce energy use and emissions.
From there, products are delivered across Europe using a mix of renewable-fuel trucks and short sea shipping.
Each of these measures supports the company’s ambition to cut supply chain emissions by 30% per tonne of product by 2030.
“This is what sustainability at scale looks like,” says Emiel. “It’s measurable, circular and designed to serve both people and the planet.”
Sustainable farming and zero deforestation
Cargill isn’t just focused on what happens after harvest. Through the Cargill Cocoa Promise, the company invests directly in farming communities.
The goal is to reach one million farmers with training in sustainable practices, access to market data and tools that improve yields without harming the environment.
It’s also taking clear steps on deforestation. By 2030, Cargill commits to eliminating deforestation from both its direct and indirect cocoa supply chains. It uses farmer mapping and bean traceability to keep its sourcing transparent, and to ensure its cocoa isn’t contributing to forest loss.
Every move in this reimagined supply chain – from solar-powered warehousing to rethinking waste – points to a system built for long-term environmental impact. Cargill’s approach blends operational scale with practical sustainability measures that can be tracked at every step.
