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PTDecarbonization of the food sector: Dengo’s strategy
Press release – Dengo, the largest bean-to-bar chocolate brand in Brazil, has taken an important step in the climate agenda. Together with WayCarbon, a global company and reference in climate solutions aimed at the just and resilient transition towards a Net-Zero economy. The project aims to improve and systematize the management of the organization’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, aiming to obtain reliable data and strengthen strategic decarbonization actions.
Since its founding in 2017, Dengo has strived to establish a fairer business chain for people and the planet. The company buys quality cocoa from producers who adopt processes that consider socio-environmental aspects, a 100% deforestation-free cocoa, and thinks about its recipes and packaging in a way that has the least impact on people and the planet. Specifically on the climate agenda, the company carried out inventories of its Scope 1 and 2 emissions but sought to continue the theme strategically. “We carried out a consultancy to evaluate this carbon front at Dengo and we understand the importance of including Scope 3, which will now be part of the diagnosis”, says Andresa Silva, Head of Networks and Sustainability at Dengo.
Thus, Dengo chose the WayCarbon Ecosystem, a multimodular digital platform that manages climate and ESG indicators in an integrated and systemic way, to bring technical robustness to the work that had already been developed. For Dengo, which has an operation concentrated in production units and more than 50 stores throughout Brazil, the use of software will enable centralized management of data and results.
“Dengo operates in a complex sector due to agricultural inputs and high logistics demand, but the systematized management of emissions will allow the agile identification of critical points in relation to the operation. From this monitoring, it will be possible to direct strategic actions in the search for new opportunities to reduce GHG emissions”, explains Lauro Marins, Head of Digital Solutions and Consulting at WayCarbon.
The climate information generated with the support of Ecosystem will also facilitate the production of sustainability reports and the certification questionnaire as a B Corporation – which validates concepts of success in the economy with positive impacts on the relationship between society and the environment – which Dengo has had since 2020.
Complexity of decarbonizing the sector
Brazilians are known to be passionate about chocolate – in 2024, each person consumed an average of 3.9 kg of the product, according to a survey by Abicab (Brazilian Association of the Chocolate, Peanut and Candy Industry). However, its production process can be carbon intensive if there are no clear decarbonization goals and initiatives.
Among activities that impact the environment are the use of land and water, the transportation of food and packaging, for example. These factors make the process of decarbonizing the sector not only complex, but also indispensable – especially given the high consumption of chocolate and Brazil’s role as the world’s sixth largest cocoa producer, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
“The Federal Government has plans to double cocoa production and reach around 400 thousand tons by 2030. In this context, the management of GHG emissions and the good ESG practices of actors such as Dengo are essential for the sustainable development of the sector”, evaluates the Head of Consulting and Digital Solutions at WayCarbon.
“We are very happy with the partnership with WayCarbon, which will bring strategic and technological robustness to our emissions inventory. This process makes the work that is already transparent at Dengo even clearer, as we only buy cocoa grown in agroforestry systems and we have all the traceability of our chain. Even so, we know the importance of looking at all emissions, in all links, to build a solid carbon neutral strategy and advance in initiatives that allow us to move towards carbon positive”, reinforces Andresa Silva from Dengo.
