It’s almost 10 months since we last spoke with Chris Vincent, the president of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF). As he prepares for the upcoming Partnership Meeting in Amsterdam (6-7 February), he gives an exclusive and wide-ranging interview to ConfectioneryNews on not only what delegates can expect through two days of high-level discussions but also how he sees the cocoa landscape shaping up over the next year.
A new report from Fairtrade International has highlighted that cocoa farmers who were paid a ‘living income reference price’ earned, on average, 15% more compared to government-regulated farmgate prices in origin countries.
Amsterdam Cocoa Week promises an ‘epic collaboration’ when it opens on Monday 5 February at the Beurs van Berlage, the city’s former stock exchange building, where joining forces under one roof will be high-level sustainability conferences Chocoa, the World Cocoa Foundation’s Partnership Meeting, plus the Cacao of Excellence Awards.
The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) has warned that a rise in freight rates due to conflict in the Red Sea also added to costs for chocolate producers.