Over six days, more than 500 delegates from 60 countries met in the Netherlands for Amsterdam Cocoa Week and the Partnership Meeting of the @worldcocoafoundation.
Key priorities included:
Sustainability regulations
Forest protection & restoration
Ending child labour
Tackling cocoa diseases
Innovation in the sector
Strengthening farmers’ incomes.
In his opening address, Chris Vincent, President of the World Cocoa Foundation, emphasized the severe consequences of global cocoa price volatility on farmers in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, warning that the sector will struggle to survive without long-term value creation for farmers.
Steven Collet, the Deputy Director-General for International Cooperation at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that nearly 75% of farmers in major producing countries do not earn a living income, underscoring the urgent need for strategic collaboration.
The Netherlands will continue working with partners worldwide to build sustainable cocoa value chains that deliver living incomes, protect the environment, and prevent child labour.
