Mondelēz International has opened a cocoa crop science technical centre in Pasuruan, Indonesia to develop and promote sustainable and scalable cocoa farming practices.

Pasuruan Cocoa Technical Center will be part of Mondelēz International’s R&D and quality centres across the globe.

It will focus on the development of cocoa crop science solutions to support high-yielding, sustainable and scalable approaches to cocoa farming, the company said.

The facility houses an R&D facility with laboratories and also includes a pilot post-harvest processing area, featuring an agronomy experiment station with 5ht nursery.

Mondelēz International Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) executive vice-president and president Maurizio Brusadelli said: “Cocoa is at the heart of chocolate, and demand is growing, with Asia set to become the second-largest consumer of cocoa ingredients. Mondelēz International is determined to meet that demand in the right way by creating a thriving cocoa sector.

“Consumers also expect more from their favourite brands like Cadbury Dairy Milk and Milka chocolate. People want delicious snacks they feel good about eating, know wher ingredients come from and produced in ways that are better for the environment and communities.

“We need to secure a sustainable future for high-quality cocoa and other raw materials we use to create the snacks our consumers love.”

Pasuruan Cocoa Technical Center also includes growing modules, enabling scientists to conduct fully controlled experiments.

The technical centre will also work in partnership with Mondelēz International’s global cocoa sustainability program, Cocoa Life.

Through the centre, the company hopes to continue its work with cocoa farming communities, suppliers and partners around the world.