Chocolate giant lobbied U.S. and EU officials over deforestation laws, says report
Food conglomerate Mondelēz International, the owner of chocolate brands Cadbury, Milka, Toblerone and Oreo, has allegedly engaged in an extensive lobbying campaign to weaken and delay enforcement of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), according to new analysis by environmental watchdog Global Witness. Under the EUDR, companies selling to the EU must show their forest […]
Mondelēz International, the parent company of chocolate brands such as Cadbury and Oreo, has been accused of lobbying U.S. and EU officials against stringent deforestation regulations, according to a report by environmental group Global Witness. The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) mandates that companies selling to the EU prove their forest products, such as cocoa, were not sourced from deforested land post-December 2020. Initially set to take effect in 2024, the law will now commence on December 31, 2026.
The NGO's investigation reveals that Mondelēz CEO Dirk Van De Put met with Andrew Puzder, the U.S. ambassador to the EU, in Brussels. This encounter occurred just months before the European Parliament and Council voted to pass regulatory simplifications on September 18. Puzder, who is a close ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, is known for his criticism of the EUDR.
Global Witness states that Mondelēz met Puzder in the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU headquarters. The company, which previously backed due diligence rules and the timely implementation of the EUDR as part of the EU Cocoa Coalition alongside other chocolate giants like Mars, Ferrero, and Nestle, later broke ranks in July 2025 to advocate for a 12-month delay in its enforcement. This shift in stance came a month after a high-ranking Mondelēz executive joined the board of the Chamber, according to the report.
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