ROME, Italy – The highly anticipated Cacao of Excellence Awards Ceremony for the 2023 Edition will take centre stage on February 8th, 2024 in Amsterdam, at the renowned CHOCOA Trade Show, Chocolate Makers’ Forum, Conference and Chocolate Festival during Amsterdam Cocoa Week, uniting the world’s best cacao producers, with bean-to-bar chocolate makers and industry leaders in a celebration of excellence.
The collaboration between Cacao of Excellence and CHOCOA has flourished for the past eight years, marked by successful pilot cacao bean auctions featuring previous Award winners during two CHOCOA Editions. The creators of CHOCOA have consistently focused on promoting sustainable superior quality cacao, aligning perfectly with the values and objectives of Cacao of Excellence and its Awards platform.
The 2024 CHOCOA event will be even more exceptional as it combines with the World Cocoa Foundation’s 2024 Annual Partnership Meeting. This convergence will bring together key leaders and stakeholders from across the cacao and chocolate industry during the week-long Amsterdam Cocoa Week, fostering collaboration, networking, and knowledge exchange.
This collaboration is perfectly timed as this year signifies a significant milestone for Cacao of Excellence – full operation of its new Cacao R&D Laboratory and Training Centre. The facility, responsible for processing cacao beans from around the globe for quality and flavour assessment, required additional time to ensure its impeccable functionality and to expand its capacity to process larger quantities of samples. Celebrating in Amsterdam in February 2024 promises an outstanding ceremony, offering a remarkable platform to honour and recognise exceptional cacao producers on a global scale.
The timing of the CHOCOA Trade Show and Chocolate Festival, combined with the World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting and Amsterdam Cocoa Week, is the perfect occasion to celebrate and showcase the global winners of the 2023 Cacao of Excellence Awards. This vibrant marketplace and conference event offers a unique platform for direct interaction between cacao producers and potential buyers, traders, and industry professionals from around the world who prioritise quality and sustainability.
“We are thrilled to hold the Cacao of Excellence 2023 Awards ceremony in Amsterdam during CHOCOA,” said Brigitte Laliberté, Acting Director of Cacao of Excellence. “This collaboration provides an exceptional platform for cacao producers and origins to gain recognition, forge valuable connections with market actors, and explore new opportunities. It’s a celebration of their hard work, dedication, and commitment to quality and sustainability.”
Jack Steijn, Co-Founder of CHOCOA, expressed his excitement about hosting the Cacao of Excellence Awards at CHOCOA, saying, “We are honoured to host this prestigious Award ceremony that celebrates sustainable cacao and exceptional quality. By convening the world’s best cacao producers, chocolate makers, buyers, traders and sector leaders, we are helping to deliver award-winning cacao to the market, fostering innovation and driving positive change in the cacao and chocolate industry.”
Stay tuned for updates on this exciting event by visiting the Cacao of Excellence website: www.cacaoofexcellence.org
