The highlight of European wide peer learning has been the first ISCOnference taking place in Brussels on the 1st of September. The meeting, attended to by about 200 representatives from ISCO members and partners of consuming and producing countries, provided important momentum for a closer collaboration among the platforms.
Starbucks believes that it is its role and responsibility to have a positive impact on the communities it serves and to work alongside coffee and cocoa farmers to help improve their livelihoods.
Some things have been achieved, but much work still lies ahead. This is the conclusion of the members' meeting of the Swiss Cocoa Platform, which coincided with the fifth anniversary of this joint initiative of business, civil society and the federal government.
"WWF believes that cocoa production does not have to be destructive and can be produced responsibly in harmony with humans and nature."
“We believe index insurance can play a significant role in sustainable and economically viable risk management and mitigation for smallholder farmers in the cocoa value chain.”
„We provide input technology, knowledge, and services to transform how crops are grown and protected and in doing so support sustainable cocoa production.”
Interview with Johannes Läderach, CEO of the Swiss family business Läderach Chocolatier Suisse about the Cocoa Tech Bridge value chain project.
“The students that SWISSCO’s university partners are educating are future change agents, innovators, and decision-makers. Therefore, we seek to strengthen their sustainability competencies.”
Poverty in many cocoa producing countries is persistent - including Peru. It clearly highlights the urgency to add an economic factor to the sustainability efforts of the industry. The true costs of environmentally and socially sound production practices must be included into the equation. For the cocoa sector to be sustainable, growing cocoa must in the first place make business sense to farmers.
