The chocolate of the future is sustainable and... without cocoa

By 2050, cocoa production could be at risk.The Foreverland startup offers a sustainable and vegan alternative, based on carobs:it's called Freecao.

• Cocoa is one of the productions with the most impact on the environment in terms of water consumption and CO2 emissions, it causes 45 percent of African deforestation and illegally employs 1.5 million children.
• The Apulian startup Foreverland created Freecao, an ethical and sustainable alternative to cocoa, finding a valid solution in carob.
• Freecao, compared to chocolate with cocoa, reduces CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent and water consumption by up to 90 percent, as well as being vegan, gluten-free and free of the main allergens.

The chocolate it is one of the comfort foods par excellence and undoubtedly one of the most loved foods in the world, in its thousand variations, but few stop to think about what is hidden behind its production.Yet the environmental impact of cocoa cultivation, especially in terms of deforestation and loss of biodiversity but also of water consumption, it is enormous.Consider, for example, that approximately 75 percent of the world's cocoa comes from West Africa, with Ivory Coast and Ghana as the main producers.Over the last 60 years, the Ivory Coast has lost about 94 percent of its forests and the Ghana 80 percent;and at least a third of these losses are attributable to the expansion of cocoa cultivation (Chocolate Scorecard 2023).Furthermore, cocoa production "boasts" an unfortunate record:it has the highest CO2 footprint in the world after beef and cheese. To obtain 1 kilogram of chocolate consumes 24 thousand liters of water. Not to mention the fact that 1.5 million children work illegally on plantations.The sad truth is that if we continue like this, by 2050 cocoa will be at risk.Starting from these premises, Foreverland, startups which is part of the ecosystem of LifeGate Way, He developed Freecao, a new generation chocolate that is sustainable, ethical, 100 percent vegan and healthy.

Carob:from a forgotten ingredient to the future of chocolate

But how is this possible?Replacing the cocoa with the carob, a little-known and valorised legume easily available in the Mediterranean area, but of which Italy is the second largest producer in the world.Widespread in the south, and particularly in Puglia and Sicily, where it is no coincidence that it has always been known as "the poor man's chocolate", today it is used mainly as animal feed, but also in the pharmaceutical and food industries, due to its thickener.Naturally sweet, rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre which make it particularly satiating, carob is therefore capable of combining taste and well-being.Its flour, mixed with saturated vegetable fats, gives rise to a product truly similar in taste and consistency to traditional chocolate. Furthermore, unlike the latter, carobs they do not contain psychoactive substances such as caffeine and theobromine:they are therefore ideal for those who are hypersensitive or simply do not wish to take them.

Freecao, a healthy and inclusive alternative to traditional chocolate

Foreverland was founded by Massimo Sabatini, Giuseppe D'Alessandro, Riccardo Bottiroli And Massimo Brochetta who decided to join forces after significant experiences in important multinationals.Freecao is designed to significantly reduce the environmental impact of chocolate production:the use of carob, which is drought resistant, low impact and locally and sustainably sourced, allows for reduce CO2 emissions by 80 percent and water consumption by 90 percent compared to traditional chocolate production methods.The most ethical supply chain does not involve the exploitation of people and resources.Freecao is also excellent from a nutritional point of view:free of the main allergens, contains naturally about 50 percent less sugar compared to a traditional milk chocolate, it is vegan, caffeine-free and gluten-free, which makes it a healthy and inclusive alternative to the classic tablet. The company has developed advanced technologies of fermentation and toasting, to process carob and other natural ingredients in order to replicate the intrinsic characteristics of chocolate, such as texture and color. “We used a combination of traditional and innovative technologies, in the patent phase, to obtain the taste and consistency of chocolate, without cocoa", explains Bottiroli, CTO of Foreverland.A commitment in the field of innovation that has already yielded Foreverland a series of awards: 1st place at National Innovation Award 2023, a special Unicredit start lab prize and the first prize awarded by Sigep (world pastry trade fair) among the most innovative startups in the field.

Foreverland projects 

With headquarters in Puglia and offices in Milan, Foreverland is looking towards Europe for the distribution of Freecao strategic partnerships.But what are the products launched by the company to date and where can we buy them?Rightly, a startup working in the chocolate sector must first focus on the Easter and Christmas holidays.It is no coincidence that the first products placed on the market were the artisanal panettone and bonbons in December 2023.In the spring of 2024 it was the turn ofEaster Egg, made entirely of Italian carob with a hazelnut filling.Also on this occasion, the company started a partnership with another Apulian startup, Nebra Skay Study, with which it launched a chocolate holder made with sustainable materials, containing 8 mini-eggs filled with hazelnut and pistachio.