World Confectionery Conference Q&A places cocoa, AI and the sector’s future in the spotlight

One of the stand-out elements of this year’s World Confectionery Conference next month in Brussels will be the return of its centrepiece Q&A session on sustainability and the confectionery sector’s future.

As in previous editions, we have used this to shed a light on some of the most pressing matters of our times, including how companies can respond to the growing climate crisis faced by all corners of the globe.

We will also examine how greater support can be given to vital cocoa supply chains serving global chocolate markets. Registration is still open for our event, so don’t delay in signing up for our must-attend event on 11 September in Brussels Belgium via the following link.

Significantly, the existing international infrastructure of cocoa markets sadly continues to face an ongoing, and mounting crisis that is showing no signs of abating any time soon. The supply deficits that have built up over the past couple of years due to a combination of factors including climate change, crop disease and poor conditions including below poverty-line wages for an ageing farming workforce have placed huge strain on the system as it stands,

This is clearly not a sustainable situation in the long-term, or indeed not even in the mid-term, and this will definitely be among subject matter for this year’s conference in Brussels.

So too will the issue of how companies and organisations engage with sustainability on its broader level. This will bring in conversations from participating organisations including Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance on the cocoa and agricultural side.

They will be joined by Nigerian-based cocoa expert HRM Oba Dokun Thompson, who is set to explore how his country is presently navigating some of the core challenges faced in the industry.

In addition, there will also be key input from the ISM confectionery trade fair organising group through its director Sabine Schommer, who has witnessed over many years how companies, large and small alike, have been playing their part in being more environmentally responsible in their respective business practices. 

For his part, Francesco Tramontin, the company’s group policy specialist, will offer the brand’s take on how it is facing up to some of these key regulatory issues that are testing the sector to its limits.

Furthermore, the session will also explore how our combined industries are facing the future in how it is dealing with broader threats (which could also offer opportunities), including how the sector is adapting to the introduction of AI technologies helping shape the sector, and how collaborative action can help forge a continued thriving global marketplace.