“The European Cocoa Association Board members and all our Membership participants were delighted to have welcomed over 410 guests who made the journey to engage in a full and dynamic event where all contributions were, not only fruitful, but also engaged, and very encouraging,” Davis said.
This conference highlighted the following key areas of a changing cocoa industry:
• There is a collective agreement that now, more than ever, a crucial balance must be found in food safety, sustainability, and socio-economic challenges throughout the value chain. The European cocoa industry recognizes the challenges of recent pesticide use rules, especially noting the short timeline allocated for their implementation, and is committed to having all players in the value chain successfully achieve lasting compliance.
• To attain price stability, the cocoa market can only function effectively, over the long term, with satisfactory supply and demand strategies that work for both sides of the sector.
• Our session on Innovation made clear to us that the European cocoa sector will have to pursue every effort, at every link inside the chain, to respond actively to the urgent needs essential to address climate change and meet the totally justified expectations of consumers and their representatives.
• Corporate Due Diligence and the obligations likely to arise from the upcoming EU Regulation on Deforestation are increasingly clear to our members. The ECA membership is willing and actively planning to deliver on these expectations and we sincerely thank the European Commission and the many national initiators for their continued commitment, outreach, and attention to the cocoa sector.