World Cocoa Foundation continues spotlight on sector’s ongoing major tests
The WCF cocoa sector partnership meeting takes place in Brazil next month. Pic: WCF
Major environmental, social and political challenges facing the global cocoa industry will be given a prime platform next month for the latest WCF Partnership meeting next month in Brazil, writes Neill Barston.
The event, which takes place between 19-20 March, will examine delays and amendments to the key sustainability and connected EUDR deforestation regulations, as well as putting a spotlight on core ongoing challenges of how to navigate sharp rises in crop prices that have caused considerable concern.
In response, the World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting will convene global leaders to drive collaboration, accelerate innovation and build long-term resilience across the supply chain.
As a key event for the sector, more than 400 stakeholders from over 40 countries to ensure a direct link between global strategies and on-the-ground realities. This year’s agenda will explore impactful solutions to key industry challenges, including regulatory compliance, evolving geopolitical challenges, modern farming innovations and industry-wide impact measurement.
The event has assembled an all-star industry cast of speakers including Alex Assanvo – Executive Secretary, Initiative Cacao Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana (ICCIG), Eduardo Bastos- Executive Director, Brazilian Agribusiness Association (ABAG)
Marcello Brito – Executive Secretary, Legal Amazon Consortium of States, Santiago Gowland – CEO, Rainforest Alliance.
It will also feature Schneider Guataqui Cervera – Global Policy Maker, International Labour Organisation (ILO)
Deborah Faria – Full Professor at the State University of Santa Cruz (UESC), ,Dr Koffi N’Goran – Deputy Director General, Coffee Cocoa Council of Côte d’Ivoire (CCC), Anna Paula Losi – Executive President, Brazilian Association of Cocoa Processing Industries, Valmir Ortega – Partner, Belterra Agroforestry, Pam Thornton – Commodity Trader, Nightingale Investment-Armajaro, Wieneke Vullings – Consul General of the Netherlands in São Paulo.
Under the theme “Our Future: Resilience Through Sustainability”, the meeting on 19-20 March takes place at a defining moment for the cocoa industry.
Regional importance
The event’s location in Brazil is significant as the host of COP30 and one of the few nations to have updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to reducing greenhouse gas emissions – adds a forward-looking dimension to the discussions.
As a leader in agricultural mechanisation, Brazil offers a unique platform for knowledge exchange between cocoa-producing nations, highlighting scalable innovations that can boost efficiency and sustainability.
“Unprecedented challenges require unprecedented collaboration,” said Chris Vincent, President of the WCF. “By bringing together the entire cocoa sector, we aim to share best practices on critical issues such as disease prevention, mechanisation and navigating climate change and evolving geopolitical challenges – all of which are essential for reducing operational costs, increasing productivity and enhancing farmer profitability. A more adaptive sector will be better equipped to withstand shocks and secure a sustainable future.” Vincent concluded.
Industry leaders will highlight how sustainable practices deliver long-term economic advantages, including higher-quality cocoa yields, sustained sector growth and strengthened brand reputation. By reducing investment risks for farmers and companies alike, these approaches help ensure profitability and resilience across the supply chain.
As the sector navigates complex, interconnected challenges – including tree disease, climate change, declining productivity, low farmer incomes, geopolitical shifts and evolving regulatory frameworks – the WCF’s Partnership Meeting will provide a platform for bold, actionable solutions to forge a sustainable future for cocoa. For more details on how to register, visit its website, worldcocoafoundation.org
