Amsterdam, 12/01/2023, For Immediate Release
Blommer’s sustainability strategy has gained a helping hand and a seeing
eye through their new partnership with Satelligence, world leaders in
geospatial sustainability. This new partnership is an important milestone
in the Fuji Oil Group’s sustainability strategy. It will strengthen the
Group’s efforts to eradicate deforestation risk from their cocoa supply
chain, starting with a focus on Blommer’s cocoa farming network.
Satelligence’s analysis will allow Blommer to capture carbon and gain
insights that will inform the entire Fuji Group’s roadmap to deliver on its
science-based scope 3 emissions reduction targets.
Scope and Strategy: Satelligence’s Master Plan
The scalability of Satelligence’s platform is a significant draw for
Blommer, who, as North America’s largest cocoa processor and ingredient
chocolate supplier, need a solution with reach. Satelligence’s initial
assessment covers around 50,000km² across Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Ecuador.
To provide Blommer with the analysis they need to achieve their targets,
Satelligence uses its E&Y certified methodology which combines satellite
imagery, AI-driven algorithms and ancillary data on cocoa farm locations.
The picture that emerges will bolster Blommer’s sustainability strategy
with landscape and farm level insights that include the following:
–
Canopy cover change
–
Carbon loss/gain on and around cocoa farms
–
Risk triaging for deforestation on high/low risk farms
–
Identifying areas of shade cocoa
–
Monitoring for carbon sequestration
Helpfully, Satelligence’s methodology allows them to distinguish between
deforestation and regrowth clearing. A real-time risk alerting system was
implemented that enhanced Blommer’s capacity to swiftly address the drivers
of deforestation and degradation. For Blommer, this makes compliance with
international regulations that make this distinction easier. It also
protects them from the reputational damage associated with deforestation in
their supply chains.
Satelligence prepared a report on land cover change in the area analysed
between 2001 and 2021, as well as a Forest Loss Risk Index (FLRI) that
rated their concessions on the farm level between 0 and 1, with 1 being
almost certain and 0 being the least likely to cause forest loss.
Findings: Eyes in the Sky Reveal that Blommer’s Supply Chains have Nothing
to Hide
Satelligence’s conclusion that “no clear trends are visible from year to
year for deforestation” in Blommer’s cocoa supply chains tells us that
deforestation has remained consistently low in their supply chains.
As encouraging as the results are for Blommer, they shouldn’t detract from
the importance of a robust strategy for monitoring environmental risk in
global supply chains. In order for companies to take efficient action
against deforestation, they need the best available tools to monitor their
supply chains.
About Satelligence
Satelligence is a geospatial sustainability company. Their curated and E&Y
verified insights on deforestation, supply chains, land degradation, and
downstream scope 3 emissions make product journeys and investment
portfolios sustainable, from tree to shelf. They’re trusted by Cargill,
Unilever, Mondelez, Bunge, AAK, Rabobank, IKEA, Tony’s Chocolonely, and
more. For more information, please visit their website
<https://satelligence.com/>, page.
About Blommer Chocolate Company
Blommer Chocolate Company provides comprehensive business solutions for
domestic and international customers of all sizes in the confectionery,
baking and dairy industries. Blommer was acquired by Fuji Oil Holdings in
2018 and is now part of a network of 16 plants with chocolate operations in
10 countries throughout the world. Among Blommer’s core competencies are
cocoa bean processing, chocolate manufacturing, commodity risk management,
and product and process R&D. The company is a leader in advancing
sustainable cocoa farming as a founding and board member of the World Cocoa
Foundation and through its privately managed farmer program all over the
world. Founded in 1939, Blommer maintains an outstanding reputation for
customer service and quality. https://www.blommer.com/
