From April 21st to 24th, Trias participated in the World Cocoa Conference 2024, a gathering of global stakeholders committed to shaping the future of the cocoa industry in a sustainable way. This year’s theme was “Paying more for a sustainable cocoa”. As one of the few NGOs present with a booth in the Global Village Exposition, we took the opportunity to showcase our sustainable cocoa projects and initiatives worldwide. To do so in the best way possible, we were joined by partners throughout the value chain. We invited delegates from different cocoa producing organizations we support in Latin America, such as Aprocam Amazonas from Peru and Kallari and Unocace from Ecuador. We also had an African delegation siding with us from the organizations COOPEBAS and UPINO from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and from Bwamba Cooperative Union in Uganda. Next to that, we invited our private sector partners: cocoa consultant ZOTO, specialty cocoa trader Silva Cacao, and chocolate manufacturer Chocolatoa. A dream team!
a visit of the queen & minster of development cooperation
One of the highlights of the week was the visit of Her Majesty the Queen of Belgium and the Minister of Development Cooperation to our booth, underscoring the importance of our work in driving sustainable impact. Our colleague Seraphine Ntumba from Trias Afrique Centrale emphasized to them the need to diversify income streams for cocoa farmers and the significance to invest in quality and local transformation. Moreover, she stressed the importance of women and youth inclusion and access to finance for producing entrepreneurs in the cocoa value chain, their organizations, and wider communities. Because we can only maintain the best chocolate if a fair price is paid for it.
the role of women in cocoa communities and the need for farmer representation
Furthermore, different experts from our delegation participated in panels addressing critical issues, such as the role of women in cocoa communities and the need for farmer representativeness in the industry. Caterine Cerda from our partner Kallari and Freddy Cabello from Unocace shared inspiring insights and their own experiences, highlighting the importance of collaboration and inclusion in achieving sustainable cocoa development. Zoi Papalexandratou from ZOTO and Katrien Delaet from Silva Cacao addressed the topic of specialty cocoa.
multi-stakeholder partnerships are key to a sustainable sector
Trias recognizes that the cocoa sector currently faces significant challenges, including heavy price fluctuations, deforestation, climate change and child labor. However, we remain optimistic about its future and believe that through collaboration and innovation, solutions can be found. By working in multi-stakeholder partnerships, we should aim to guarantee fair prices for producers and create a more sustainable industry together.
At the conclusion of the conference, stakeholders formulated the Declaration of Brussels—a commitment to advancing sustainable cocoa development. The declaration emphasizes the need for collaboration, transparency, and good governance to address challenges facing the cocoa sector. Trias fully supports the intentions of the declaration but remains critical of its efficient realization. To effectively change the sector, all stakeholders need to take responsibility. Trias and its partners remain committed to driving positive change in the sector from the bottom up.
DO YOU WANT TO JOIN OUR COMMITMENT
TO MAKE THE COCOA SECTOR MORE SUSTAINABLE?
Reach out to our colleague Eva Verbist and find out how you can partner
with our experts and partners in the different countries where we operate.
