World Cocoa Foundation Partnership meeting to focus on supporting supplier communities

The organisers of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) partnership meeting have confirmed that it is set to place aligning for global action on policies supporting key supplier nation communities, at the heart of the event, writes Neill Barston.

Taking place in Amsterdam, between 6-7 February at the Beurs van Berlage, it forms part of a wider week of cocoa activities in the city, linked to the Chocoa event which is also set for the same location.

As the WCF noted, key highlights of the 2024 Partnership Meeting include sessions exploring the complexities of driving sustainability in the cocoa sector, the importance of collaboration among stakeholders, and the forces shaping social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

The latest meeting comes at a timely moment, as the EU prepares to bring in due diligence legislation requiring companies within Europe to guarantee transparency within supply chains of a number of sectors, including cocoa and other agricultural produce.

As industry observers have noted, it is now a question of whether such legislation can be rolled-out in a universal manner, covering entire global markets, in order to avoid a disparity of international legal obligations.

Subject areas of traceability, measuring deforestation, and carbon footprint con Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in a dialogue meant to deepen understanding, encourage innovative thinking, and foster trust in common goals. Alongside the key topic of EUDR, panel discussions and fireside chats on topics that include Agroforestry for who? Scaling Successful Farmer-Centric Models. The conference will also look at Sustainability Ambitions in Cocoa Producing Countries as well as Measuring Deforestation, Carbon, and Programme Impact.

With more than 20 years experience as an organisation, the WCF’s members include farmer cooperatives, major cocoa processors, chocolate manufacturers, supply chain companies, and other companies worldwide, with the likes of Barry Callebaut, Cargill and Hershey all represented by the group.

As it explained, its vision remains to be a catalyst for a thriving and equitable cocoa sector that is collaborating to improve farmer income, reverse deforestation, and combat child labour. WCF’s unique position at the centre of the cocoa and chocolate sector enables it to create strategic relationships and collaborative programmes with cocoa farming communities, governments, and civil society, which deliver transformative impact and systemic reform.