Senior government leaders, regulators and industry decision makers from across the global cocoa value chain will convene in Amsterdam next month for the World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting, one of the sector’s most influential global forums, as the industry faces mounting climate pressure, regulatory change and market volatility.
This year’s meeting will mark the launch of WCF’s newly refined strategy, setting out a more focused and action-oriented approach to climate resilience, cocoa diseases, traceability and regulatory readiness.
Expert-led discussion
The programme brings together senior leaders from key producing and consuming countries, including Yves Brahima Koné, Director General of the Conseil du Café-Cacao, Côte d’Ivoire; Dr Francis Baah, Deputy CEO of COCOBOD, Ghana; Raquel Solís Guevara, Deputy Minister of Agricultural Production Development, Ecuador and Dr Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Nigeria, alongside other senior officials from Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, the Netherlands and the European Commission. The participation of public and private sector leaders underlines the growing importance of alignment in securing cocoa’s future.
Discussions will be moderated by Henry Bonsu, UK journalist and broadcaster and an experienced international conference moderator, including for the United Nations. Fluent in French and German, he brings deep expertise in facilitating high-level policy and sustainability discussions.
Confirmed speakers include:
Yves Brahima Koné, Director General, Conseil du Café-Cacao Côte d’Ivoire
Dr Francis Baah, Deputy CEO, Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD)
Raquel Solís Guevara, Deputy Minister of Agricultural Production Development, Government of Ecuador
Dr Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Republic of Nigeria
Santiago Gowland, CEO, Rainforest Alliance
Steven Collet, Deputy Director General of International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands
Regis Meritan, Senior Expert, Head of Sector, Agricultural Growth, Directorate General for International Partnerships, European Commission
Alongside the main programme, WCF will host a reception titled Women at the Heart of Sustainable Cocoa: Celebrating the International Year of Women Farmers, sponsored by Hershey. Declared by the United Nations, the International Year of Women Farmers recognises the vital role women play in sustainable food systems, climate resilience and rural livelihoods.
