EVENT NEWS


WCF unveils 2026 Amsterdam Partnership Meeting Programme


The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) has announced the programme for its 2026 Partnership Meeting, taking place 17–18 February at the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam during Amsterdam Cocoa Week. The meeting is the most influential global forum for debate and collaboration on cocoa and chocolate sustainability, and this year’s theme “Securing Cocoa’s Future in a Changing World” reflects the critical challenges shaping the sector’s future.The cocoa sector faces mounting pressures from climate disruption, evolving regulation, supply chain instability and rising consumer expectations. The 2026 Partnership Meeting will spotlight practical solutions and bold collaboration to protect cocoa’s future and strengthen resilience across the value chain. “This is not business as usual. Cocoa’s future depends on fresh thinking, faster action and stronger partnerships. The Partnership Meeting is where leaders come together to move from talk to tangible change,” said Chris Vincent, President of the World Cocoa Foundation.


Programme Highlights • Cocoa Resilience at Risk: tackling cocoa diseases such as swollen shoot and frosty pod with fresh global responses from scientists, farmers and institutions • State of Regulation: how companies can prepare for fast- changing sustainability rules in Europe and beyond, with support from WCF tools and standards • Cocoa at the Crossroads: senior officials from Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana on the future of origin-country leadership


• Shaping Tomorrow’s Cocoa: emerging producers from Brazil, Ecuador, Nigeria, Cameroon and Indonesia on their growing global influence The Cocoa TechXchange will return as a dynamic space for


showcasing innovation and practical solutions, connecting industry leaders, tech developers and farmer-focused organisations. As part of Amsterdam Cocoa Week, WCF continues its


partnership with CHOCOA, ensuring alignment with wider industry and civil society dialogues while maintaining its focus on high- level strategy, sustainability impact and sector transformation.


Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival Debuts in Rushville, Indiana


The inaugural Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival took place Friday and Saturday, November 22-23, in the small town of Rushville, Indiana. The event offered a rare opportunity for chocolate enthusiasts to experience the world of craft chocolate outside the usual big-city settings. While most craft chocolate festivals are held in coastal hubs like New York, Seattle, and San Francisco, the Midwest festival celebrated the essence of cacao—the farms where it is grown and the farmers and workers who cultivate it—by bringing the spotlight to America’s heartland. Rushville, a town about an hour


southeast of Indianapolis, welcomed the festival during its annual Christmas on Main event, held the weekend before Thanksgiving. Town leaders saw the festival as a way to introduce downtown


Rushville to a wider audience while showcasing the community to visitors. The event brought together bean-to-bar makers, chocolatiers, cacao farmers, and educators for two days of tasting, learning, and celebrating craft chocolate. The festival was the brainchild of Dustin


Cornett, the owner of Chocolat Cafe and creator of the internationally recognized Craft Chocolat Challenge. The event was hosted and supported by Heart of Rushville, the local organization dedicated to promoting the town’s cultural and community events. In a recent conversation for the Bean


to Barstool podcast, Barb Genuario— known on Instagram as @chocochaser— shared her perspective on the festival. An educator, writer, and co-founder of the D.C. Chocolate Society, Genuario had previously


worked as an assistant chocolate maker at Harper McCaw before the company closed. She was one of the festival organizers and described the event as a unique platform to highlight the stories behind craft chocolate and the people who make it. Leila Carvajal Erker, CEO of Cocoa


Supply and title sponsor of the festival, also spoke about her excitement for the event. Carvajal Erker had previously appeared on the Bean to Barstool podcast to discuss her company’s focus on providing high-quality cacao nibs for craft breweries and to highlight innovations like cacao fruit pulp products for brewers and other beverage makers. She saw the festival as a chance to connect with chocolate makers and enthusiasts in a hands-on, community-focused setting.


NOVEMBER 2025 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • 9


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