Is the sustainable future of chocolate cocoa-free?

Melina Gerdts
Jun 26
3 min read

How the Italian Foodtech start-up Foreverland is changing the chocolate industry, a discussion with CEO Massimo Sabatini.

The Future of Sustainable Chocolate Is Cocoa-Free: How Foreverland Is Reinventing Indulgence

Chocolate lovers, brace yourselves: the sweet treat we all know and love is under threat. Climate change, aging cocoa trees, supply chain bottlenecks, and rising global demand have made cocoa one of the most volatile ingredients in the food industry. Prices have soared 145% in the last year, and manufacturers are scrambling to reformulate, shrink bars, and find cheaper alternatives.

But what if we didn't just patch the system? What if we could reinvent chocolate altogether, but without the cocoa?

That’s exactly what Italian foodtech startup Foreverland is doing. Their flagship product, Choruba, is a rich, indulgent chocolate alternative made from upcycled carob pulp, a byproduct of the locust bean gum industry. And here's the twist: it tastes just like chocolate, but without the environmental baggage.

Chocolate’s Cocoa Crisis

Nearly 70% of the world's cocoa for chocolate comes from just two countries: Ivory Coast and Ghana. These regions are now facing devastating impacts from climate change, including drought, disease, and aging plantations. Combine that with low farmer incomes, deforestation, and unfair labor practices, and you get a supply chain that is both environmentally and ethically broken.

Enter shrinkflation, palm oil replacements, and sky-high prices. In 2024 alone, cocoa prices shot up from $4,200 to over $10,000 per metric ton. This isn’t just bad for business. It’s bad for chocolate lovers everywhere.

A Sweet Alternative from the Mediterranean

Foreverland isn’t trying to replace cocoa overnight. They’re building an entirely new category of indulgence, starting with Choruba, a semi-finished chocolate alternative made from fermented and roasted carob pulp.

Carob grows abundantly across the Mediterranean and requires almost no water or intensive farming. While its seeds are typically used in the ice cream industry, the pulp has historically been undervalued, as it is used only for animal feed or fertilizer. Foreverland saw an opportunity to transform this overlooked biomass into something extraordinary.

Not Just a Substitute. A Solution.

Choruba is cheaper, more stable, and significantly more sustainable than cocoa. According to Foreverland’s life cycle assessment, it produces 80% less CO2 and uses 90% less water than traditional chocolate. And because it’s naturally sweet, it requires less added sugar.

It’s also caffeine-free, nickel-light, and already winning over new customer segments: children, pregnant women, and people with food sensitivities.

But here’s the kicker: Choruba doesn’t try to compete with your favorite chocolate bar. Instead, it shows up in snacks, fillings, spreads, and coated nuts, places where taste still reigns, but purity is less critical. In blind tastings, many consumers can’t tell the difference.

Scaling operations by partnering with chocolate companies

Foreverland is already operating a 1,000m² demo plant in southern Italy capable of producing 500 tons of Choruba annually. And they’re not stopping there. To meet demand from food brands and confectionery companies, they’re partnering with existing cocoa manufacturers to scale production using shared infrastructure.

They’re also actively building out the carob pulp supply chain, working with seed processors and encouraging farmers across the Mediterranean to harvest this drought-resistant crop more consistently.

Local to Local, Circular by Design

Foreverland’s vision is deeply circular. By using a byproduct from the locust bean industry and producing Choruba close to where the raw material is sourced, they reduce transport emissions and support regional supply chains. They’re also pushing for more carob tree plantations in semi-arid areas to help fight desertification.

In the long run, the team wants to scale this model across Mediterranean countries like Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Morocco, bringing sustainable indulgence to new markets.

Educating the Palate

The biggest challenge? Consumer education. Many people still don’t know what carob is, let alone Choruba. Foreverland is tackling this with ingredient branding, collaborations with Michelin-star chefs, and creative applications in snacks and desserts.

Their goal is simple: make Choruba a recognized, trusted alternative that people actively seek out. Not as a compromise, but as a different kind of treat.

Conclusion: Chocolate for a Changing World

Foreverland isn’t waging war on cocoa. They’re offering an alternative for a future where cocoa might be less available, less affordable, or less sustainable.

By turning a forgotten ingredient into a modern indulgence, they’re not just changing chocolate, instead they’re showing us how to build smarter, more resilient food systems from the ground up.

Main Takeaways:

Cocoa is facing severe supply chain challenges due to climate change, disease, and deforestation.
Choruba, developed by Foreverland, is a cocoa-free chocolate alternative made from upcycled carob pulp.
Choruba has 80% lower carbon emissions and uses 90% less water than traditional chocolate.
It’s caffeine-free, low in nickel, and gaining traction in coated snacks, fillings, and spreads.
Foreverland is scaling production across the Mediterranean and educating consumers through ingredient branding.