The Chocolate Industry 2020 & Rosie’s Confections
Rosie’s Confections is a confectionery based in Vermont. We started as a small artisan CBD edibles company and soon broadened our offerings to confections.
We place the discussion on sustainability at the heart of our strategy. Working on our social conscience and investing in a circular economy (direct-trade) approach is our way to advocate for a better world. Today it might seem avant-garde but we hope for a future where it will be the bare minimum.
At our Core, We Strive for Total Transparency & Ethical Business Practices.
There is a dire need for better and more sustainable practices in the chocolate and food industries. Our mission is more than just creating a product that tastes good and feels great in your body: we aim at offering guilt-free indulgence. We are conscientious of where we source our ingredients and of the effect it has on all lives involved in their supply chain.
Our goal is to have the capability to implement the best eco-friendly practices and take initiatives to set new standards in our respective industries. A circular economy and sustainable sourcing of supplies must become normalized.
Rosie’s Confections plays a role in two main industries; confectionery production and wholesaling. 2020 was proof that life is fleeting and we hope to make the most of ours to push trends in the right direction.
Increased Accountability
The rise in awareness about climate change led to a shift in the world’s consumer habits. An increasing number of people are making efforts to have more sustainable lifestyles. Locally-made products are gaining momentum.
In parallel, people are becoming health conscious. More and more consumers have changed their diet to a plant-based one. Vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians…the trend has rapidly grown with the pandemic and it is expected to continue worldwide.
Younger generations are going a step further in their demand. They are looking for products that align with their values. Carbon neutral, local, and organic foods are favored.
Sustainability: meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
As consumers re-evaluate the importance of their values, they begin to pay more attention to what they consume. They are increasingly interested in the ethical and environmental impact of the products they purchase, starting with the ingredients, their provenance, and their environmental impact. Brands can now use ingredient lists to ensure their products are clean and wholesome.
Now more than ever, it is important to gain our consumers’ trust. Unfortunately, the overabundance of claims tend to confuse consumers. According to Lumina Intelligence’s research on trading fairness, with the proliferation of company programs and evolving certification standards, it can be difficult to pin down exactly what sustainability means.
It is also important to note that consumers will prioritize simpler snacks.
“Free-from” consumables are gaining popularity. The two next superstars are nuts, which are a source of nutrients with illness mitigating properties, and dark chocolate packed with fibers, minerals, and antioxidants.
The increased interest for cocoa’s health benefits might boost the already increasing demand for dark chocolate. Cocoa has been perceived as a way to add flavor and color for some time, but it has only just recently been put under the spotlight and celebrated for its amazing health properties.
The chocolate and cocoa farming industries have two trends growing in influence
1. Single origin cocoa. This has to do with demand in traceability. It inspires trust.
2. Personalized chocolates. The lack of in-person contact has an impact on our relationship with others, whether personal or professional. The evolution of our types of daily interactions should drive demand for personalized gifts. We all know chocolate is a classic.
Health, wellbeing, and sustainability will act as the primary drivers for the foods market.
Progress through innovation
As trust starts to dominate the conversation, innovations involving digital platforms and technologies emerge. Let’s go over the most prominent ones:
The application of blockchain technology to supply chains. Blockchain technology offers a way to record transactions or any digital interaction that is designed to be secure, transparent, highly resistant to outages, auditable, and efficient. The optimal scenario would be to have a reliable traceability of the transactions occurring in the supply chain. Trust is needed among the said supply chain and blockchain is a way to ensure that. Good supply chain management is becoming key to gaining a customer’s loyalty. The consumable industry has complex challenges due to the perishable nature of the products. Many variables must be taken into consideration. The application of blockchain would allow a near real-time visibility of the tracked subjects.
On the consumer side, this technology can provide intelligent labels that would give valuable information such as: freshness, temperature of the package, sustainability, origin, storage instructions, compatibility with diets, presence of allergens…the list goes on. It would provide a superior experience and companies would not be able to hide behind empty claims. Shoppers would finally have easy access to the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions.
At Rosie’s Confections, we do not wait for customer demand to improve our offerings. We believe in a never-ending process of self-improvement and we are always looking to take advantage of new opportunities while working on our weaknesses. We research best practices and stay up-to-date with the latest innovations and reports. We keep an eye on how we can improve our relationship with Mother Earth, while making the most delicious and healthy treats.
We all need to stop feeling bad when we indulge. Indulgence is not a sin, but a necessity. The way you treat yourself sets the standards for others. You build your self-love, confidence, and self-worth. Yet it should not be at the cost of less fortunate people nor the planet. Purchasing a luxury product is a way to advocate for a better world if you are deliberate about it. Let those words sink in. Share your vision with us.
