Choko-lab

Now the world's sweetest indulgence can be grown without cocoa farms in a lab

- VAISHALI DAR

First, it was lab-grown leather, promising cruelty-free fashion. Then came cultivated meat, aiming to feed the world without factory farms. Even diamonds, once extracted from deep earth, can now be created in high-tech chambers. The latest to join this club of science-born luxury is chocolate.

Climate pressures, deforestation, and exploitative labor practices threaten the sustainability of the global cocoa industry, leading to new frontiers in food technology. Lab-grown chocolates, while still in early stages, are a sustainable option.

According to global management consulting firm Kearney, the chocolate industry is at a turning point, with climate change, rising costs, and new regulatory requirements posing significant challenges to traditional production methods. Between 2014 and 2024, cocoa prices rose by 177% worldwide. However, Barry Callebaut, the leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa solutions, has recently entered into a strategic partnership with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) to explore the potential of cocoa cell culture technology. This collaboration is part of Callebaut's long-term commitment to innovation and sustainability in the chocolate industry. So what is the company working on?