BERLIN, Germany — Some 1,500 stakeholders from around the world and across the sector are expected to gather in Berlin in April to discuss the most important issues in cocoa and chocolate, and how progress can be made in assuring and equitable future for all of them.
The fourth edition of the biennial World Cocoa Conference, scheduled for 22 – 25 April at the Maritim Hotel Berlin — organized by the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) — will address the problems of smallholder cocoa farmers hit by longstanding low prices for the commodity, among many other important issues.
Examining the topics of production, trade, consumption and the sustainability of the whole sector, world experts will join with representatives of producer and consumer country governments, the trade, chocolate industry and civil society in a heavily interactive mix of presentations, discussions and networking that will involve stakeholders from 60 countries.
Graciously hosted by the government of the German Federal Republic, the Conference is to be opened by a group of senior government Ministers and top officials from the world’s most important cocoa producing and cocoa consuming nations, and will include plenary sessions addressed by senior executives of the largest multinational chocolate companies, including Mars Wrigley, Ritter Sport and Barry Callebaut.
An innovative day of breakout sessions will take deep dives into some viable solutions for the complex problems of the cocoa sector, involving everyone from senior academics and representatives of development bodies to the crucial cocoa farmers themselves, hailing from the most significant origins all over the globe.
In total, over a hundred moderators, presenters and panelists will bring varied approaches to tackling these most difficult issues, and new technology at the Conference will bring the various stakeholders together to become the most inclusive and representative event in cocoa.
In another part of the Conference, the role of Women in Cocoa and Chocolate will be highlighted in a special forum organized in conjunction with NGO Solidaridad. The Fine and Flavour Cocoa sector will also be the subject of a day-long ancillary event, organized with the help of the International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting, and looking at the increasing share of the single origin cocoa segment, as well as developments in the market for the high value speciality chocolate products that use these exemplary cocoas.
The wide-ranging Conference — accompanied by an Exhibition showcasing some of the major suppliers to the sector and institutions involved in assisting its development worldwide — once again will serve as a gathering place for the cocoa world for four days in April. The Conference will immediately precede the International Cocoa Council’s meeting of Member countries of the ICCO.
For updated information on the Fourth World Cocoa Conference, including the latest programme and details on how to attend, visit the event website www.worldcocoaconference.org.
