From the World Cocoa Conference in Amsterdam, 9 -- 13 June, to Chocovision 2014 in Davos, Switzerland, 17 -- 18 June, ICI was part of the debate that will shape the future of chocolate. Launching its brand new strategy at the World Cocoa Conference, the International Cocoa Initiative stressed during various events, including a panel on child labour, that the rights of children in cocoa-growing communities should be an integral part of cocoa sustainability.
The Amsterdam Cocoa Declaration, adopted by the 1,400 participants, recognised that sustainability in the sector requires a much wider perspective and a stronger international coordination to address various development aspects, including child labour, certification, gender equality, land tenure, good agricultural practices, and the impact of climate change. It was agreed that the Global Cocoa Agenda, adopted two years ago at the First World Cocoa Conference in Abidjan would continue to serve as a roadmap for achieving long-term sustainability in cocoa.
Debating on current and future concerns in the cocoa economy, senior business leaders and a select group of influential politicians and NGO representatives gathered last week in Davos, Switzerland for Chocovision 2014. A unique business-to-business event organised by Barry Callebaut, Chocovision provided a platform for exploring new approaches and solutions for a sustainable and successful future of the chocolate industry. ICI, with its unique focus on children, was a key part of the discussion, which featured prominent speakers such as Liberian peace activist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Leymah Gbowee, Unilever’s CEO Paul Polman, and the Chief Executive of Ghana Cocoa Board Stephen K. Opuni.
ICI’s Executive Director Nick Weatherill spoke about the fundamental challenges facing the cocoa industry and about the change that is happening as we start to understand what works at farm level.