Chocolate giant lobbied U.S. and EU officials over deforestation laws, says report

Environmental watchdog Global Witness reports that Mondelēz International, owner of Cadbury, Milka, Toblerone, and Oreo, ran an extensive lobbying campaign to weaken and delay the EU Deforestation Regulation, which requires proof that cocoa and other forest products weren't grown on land cleared after December 2020. The rule's start date has already slipped from 2024 to December 2026 after a Parliament and Council vote this September.

The report details a June meeting between Mondelēz CEO Dirk Van De Put and Andrew Puzder, the U.S. ambassador to the EU and a Trump ally who has criticized the regulation, held at the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU's Brussels headquarters. Mondelēz broke from peers Mars, Ferrero, and Nestlé to call for a 12-month delay in July 2025, a month after a company representative joined the Chamber's board, and has spent 1.2 to 1.5 million euros on EU lobbying since 2023 without disclosing what it covered.

Mondelēz is the only major chocolate maker in the analysis that won't disclose what share of its cocoa supply is deforestation-free, and Global Witness says the company remains exposed to deforestation-linked sourcing in West Africa including Liberia. A company spokesperson told Global Witness it 'fully supports the objectives' of the regulation while confirming it lobbied policymakers to make the rule 'work effectively in practice.'

The full dispatch is available from the source below.