Exclusive: Fairtrade Foundation set for fresh insights at the World Confectionery Conference
Jason Archie-Archeampong (centre), of Fairtrade Foundation, asserted that Fairtrade premiums were in fact making a difference on the ground. Pic: Bell Publishing/Dafos
After a successful debut appearance at last year’s World Confectionery Conference, Jason Archie-Acheampong, Fairtrade Foundation’s cocoa sourcing lead, will returning for our 2026 event, reports Neill Barston.
The experienced industry expert made a notably engaging contribution to our previous Brussels event edition, and will once again be addressing the considerable challenges that remain within the sector.
With a strong background operating within the industry, Jason will join our centrepiece Q&A on sustainability, which will look at the overall future direction of the wider market, including its vital supply chains including cocoa, which has faced a combination of pricing, environmental and geopolitical tests that have made global media headlines in the past year.
As previously, sustainability right across the confectionery sector, as well as innovation within new products, ingredients and technology development are set to form part of this year’s event, taking place at America Square Conference centre in central London on 10 September.
Our conference also sees the return of our the World Confectionery Awards, which will be presented across six categories this year, reflecting the endeavours and hard work that companies have put into driving the industry forward, from small and medium-sized enterprises, through to major international businesses.
For his part, Jason Archie-Acheampong’s career spans commercial roles across agricultural value chains in the private and development sectors, where he has successfully driven international trade and spearheaded innovative supply chain initiatives.
Jason Archie-Acheampong, of Fairtrade Foundation will be among participants at our World Confectionery Conference. Pic: Fairtrade
Holding a PhD from Alliance Manchester Business School, his research on sustainability and labour standards in SMEs has been published in leading international journals. Jason’s expertise lies in commercial trade, sustainable sourcing, and fostering partnerships that create value for both producers and global markets. (see our exclusive video review of last year’s event in Brussels featuring Fairtrade, below).
Confectionery Production editor Neill Barston commented: “The quality of discussion and debate for last year’s Q&A session was extremely high, with Jason very much playing his part in that from a Fairtrade perspective.
“This year’s QandA will be addressing wider sustainability within the industry, but cocoa remains high on the agenda of many companies and individuals within the sector, as a key ingredient, and there have been initial moves put forward by the industry in tackling the present crisis that has cast a shadow over the industry’s future, which will come under the microscope.
“While these challenges persist, there have also been some bright sparks for the broader industry in the forthcoming regulations that are coming in that offer hope for its future, which I am sure Jason and the rest of the panel will offer their insights on for our 2026 event.”
