36 • ICCO Report • C&CI May 2012
Cocoa conference will examine all the issues
A
ll aspects of the supply chain, from grower to final consumer, will be covered at the upcoming
World Cocoa Conference in Abidjan. "The world cocoa sector is fast approaching a critical junction," says the ICCO’s acting executive director, Jean- Marc Anga. "With many analysts considering that
we have entered an era of structural deficit in supply, sustainable growth for everyone in the cocoa and chocolate supply chain depends on increasing cocoa production in a co-ordinated way." In recent months, the London-based
agency has issued several warning about the dangers for prices, and thus farmers’ sales returns and government income, if such expansion – the result of investment spurred by the market’s run- up to a 32-year high a year ago – should continue unchecked.
Working together
Mr Anga’s view is that sustainability in the cocoa sector can only be achieved – and potential pitfalls avoided - if all stakeholders work together, which is why his agency has called the first ever world conference on cocoa. Its goal will be to draw up a road map for the industry and agree the measures – which the ICCO sees itself playing a key role in imple- menting – that will be required to avoid potential problems ahead. Everyone needs to be involved in this,
according to Mr Anga, whether it is chocolate manufacturers, cocoa traders and producers, or those who provide shipping, logistics, insurance or financial services to the sector. All will be repre- sented at the conference in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire’s commercial capital, November 19-23, which will be opened by President Alassane Ouattara, "Our chief concern is to give fresh
impetus to efforts to increase the pro- ductivity of cocoa farming and stimulate the demand for good quality cocoa," said Ivorien agriculture minister,
Analysts argue that we could be approaching a structural deficit – others worry that increasing production could affect prices
As Robin Stainer reports, when stakeholders in the global cocoa economy meet later this year, the ambitious aim set them by the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) will be to draw up a strategy for the sector to meet the challenges ahead
Coulibaly Mamadou Sangafowa. He noted that if co-ordinated action is taken now, the result will be more successful farmers, better agricultural practices and a better final product for consumers. "Most importantly, it will lift many cocoa smallholders around the world out of poverty and enable them to share the benefits of economic growth."
Child labour on the agenda
But nothing will be off the agenda in Abidjan, even the controversial issues of child labour and certification, which some producers are resistant to (unless
the costs can be shared with importers) and food safety. This is another issue of concern for producers, because of the problems sometimes encountered in meeting the differing standard set by the main importing countries on minimum pesticide residues in cocoa shipments. According to the programme for the
conference, which was released by the ICCO at the end of March, speakers will look first at ways of ensuring that the world cocoa economy has the capacity to deliver growth along the whole supply chain. They will cover future prospects for the market, particularly what needs to be done to make sure that supply can meet demand over the coming 10 years, the implications of reforms taking place
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