LONDON, 22 July 2013—The African Cocoa Coalition (ACC), which comprises autonomous non-governmental organizations and farmer groups active in the cocoa sector, has become the 35th stakeholder to sign the Abidjan Cocoa Declaration.
David Guba Kpelle, the ACC’s Programme Director, signed the Declaration on behalf of the Coalition at the recent International Workshop on Cocoa Certification in Douala, Cameroon.
ACC has been playing an active role in the ICCO’s multi-stakeholder sustainability initiatives in the cocoa sector since the first Roundtable on Sustainable Cocoa Economy was held in Accra in 2007 and it has since been involved in capacity building for cocoa farmers, including training them to form strong associations and cooperatives.
The ground-breaking Abidjan Cocoa Declaration now has 35 signatories from across the entire cocoa sector. The international stakeholders began signing the Declaration at a special ceremony during the first World Cocoa Conference in Abidjan in November.
The Declaration recommends specific and measurable actions to achieve a sustainable cocoa economy, and reflects the more detailed proposals of the Global Cocoa Agenda. The important issues highlighted by the Agenda formed the basis of the many presentations and panels that took place at the Conference.
The Declaration is the first step in an ongoing process aimed at creating a sustainable future for the cocoa sector and helping to ensure that its benefits are shared along the entire chain, starting with the growers. Another World Cocoa Conference, planned for 9 – 13 June, 2014 in Amsterdam, is set to monitor and review the progress being made to deal with the issues outlined by the Declaration and the Agenda.
The texts of both the Abidjan Cocoa Declaration and the Global Cocoa Agenda, as well as most of the presentations that were delivered at the first World Cocoa Conference, can be downloaded here.
The other signatories to the Abidjan Cocoa Declaration are: Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Togo, Papua New Guinea, Mars, Mondelēz International, Nestlé, Blommer Chocolate, CEMOI, Ferrero Trading, Armajaro Trading Ltd, ADM, Barry Callebaut, Cargill, Hershey, Petra Foods, Amtrada/Continaf, Noble Group, Olam International / Outspan Ivoire, Touton, Transmar Group, Federation of Cocoa Commerce, CAOBISCO, World Cocoa Foundation, IDH (Dutch Sustainable Agriculture Initiative), ECA (European Cocoa Association), ACP (The Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States), Talents (farmer), ICI (International Cocoa Initiative) and HCCO (Hamburg Cocoa & Commodity Office GmbH).
The Declaration remains open, and all cocoa stakeholders are urged to sign it.
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August 2013 Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics
London, 30 August 2013–The International Cocoa Organization today releases its revised forecasts for the current 2012/2013 cocoa year and revised estimates for 2011/2012 of world production, grindings and stocks of cocoa beans, summarized below. The data published in Issue No. 3 – Volume XXXIX – Cocoa year 2012/2013 of the Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics, reflect the most recent information available to the Secretariat as at the beginning of August 2013.
Summary of revised estimates and forecasts
(Oct-Sep)
estimates
forecasts a/
forecasts
Notes:
a/ Forecasts published in Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics, Vol. XXXIX – No. 2 – Cocoa year 2012/2013
b/ Surplus/deficit: net world crop (gross crop adjusted for loss in weight) minus grindings
Totals may differ due to rounding.
This issue of the Bulletin contains the Secretariat’s revised forecasts for the 2012/2013 cocoa year as well as data for the past four years of production and grindings of cocoa beans, detailed by country. The main features of the global cocoa market are illustrated in colour charts. In addition, it includes comments on crop and demand prospects in the leading countries for the current season, and a review of price developments on international markets for cocoa beans during the April-June quarter of 2013.
Statistical information on trade in cocoa beans, cocoa products and chocolate, by country and by region, published in this edition, covers annual data from 2009/2010 to 2011/2012 and quarterly statistics for the period April-June 2011 to October-December 2012. Details of origin of imports and destination of exports for leading cocoa importing countries are also provided. Historical statistics on cocoa trade and consumption, by country and by region, for the period 2003/2004 to 2011/2012 are presented for reference.
Copies of the Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics, including in Microsoft Excel files and in Adobe PDF format versions, can be ordered by completing and returning this form or from the ICCO Secretariat at the address below:
International Cocoa Organization
Westgate House
Ealing
London W5 1YY, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 8991 6000
Fax: +44 (0)20 8997 4372
E-mail: registry@icco.org or info@icco.org
Malaysia joins the International Cocoa Agreement 2010
Malaysia on 5 August 2013 signed the International Cocoa Agreement 2010, the United Nations Treaty Section has confirmed.
Click here to see the official notification of accession to the Agreement from the United Nations.
International Cocoa Certification Workshop Report now available
The report, which can be downloaded here, includes a summary of the Workshop’s themes, proceedings and outcome, along with its recommendations, a statement by co-organizer the United Nations Forum on Sustainable Standards, a summary of the vision from key stakeholders participating at the Workshop, a fully updated programme and a list of participants.
The Workshop, which was held at the Hotel Sawa in Douala, was co-organized by Cameroon’s Ministry of Commerce and the Office National du Café et du Cacao (ONCC). It was kindly sponsored by the Government of Cameroon, the UNFSS, the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), Hershey, Mondelēz International and Mars Chocolate.
Pictured: The trade and industry perspective panel at the International Workshop on Cocoa Certification in Douala
African Cocoa Coalition signs Abidjan Declaration
LONDON, 22 July 2013—The African Cocoa Coalition (ACC), which comprises autonomous non-governmental organizations and farmer groups active in the cocoa sector, has become the 35th stakeholder to sign the Abidjan Cocoa Declaration.
David Guba Kpelle, the ACC’s Programme Director, signed the Declaration on behalf of the Coalition at the recent International Workshop on Cocoa Certification in Douala, Cameroon.
ACC has been playing an active role in the ICCO’s multi-stakeholder sustainability initiatives in the cocoa sector since the first Roundtable on Sustainable Cocoa Economy was held in Accra in 2007 and it has since been involved in capacity building for cocoa farmers, including training them to form strong associations and cooperatives.
The ground-breaking Abidjan Cocoa Declaration now has 35 signatories from across the entire cocoa sector. The international stakeholders began signing the Declaration at a special ceremony during the first World Cocoa Conference in Abidjan in November.
The Declaration recommends specific and measurable actions to achieve a sustainable cocoa economy, and reflects the more detailed proposals of the Global Cocoa Agenda. The important issues highlighted by the Agenda formed the basis of the many presentations and panels that took place at the Conference.
The Declaration is the first step in an ongoing process aimed at creating a sustainable future for the cocoa sector and helping to ensure that its benefits are shared along the entire chain, starting with the growers. Another World Cocoa Conference, planned for 9 – 13 June, 2014 in Amsterdam, is set to monitor and review the progress being made to deal with the issues outlined by the Declaration and the Agenda.
The texts of both the Abidjan Cocoa Declaration and the Global Cocoa Agenda, as well as most of the presentations that were delivered at the first World Cocoa Conference, can be downloaded here.
The other signatories to the Abidjan Cocoa Declaration are: Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Togo, Papua New Guinea, Mars, Mondelēz International, Nestlé, Blommer Chocolate, CEMOI, Ferrero Trading, Armajaro Trading Ltd, ADM, Barry Callebaut, Cargill, Hershey, Petra Foods, Amtrada/Continaf, Noble Group, Olam International / Outspan Ivoire, Touton, Transmar Group, Federation of Cocoa Commerce, CAOBISCO, World Cocoa Foundation, IDH (Dutch Sustainable Agriculture Initiative), ECA (European Cocoa Association), ACP (The Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States), Talents (farmer), ICI (International Cocoa Initiative) and HCCO (Hamburg Cocoa & Commodity Office GmbH).
The Declaration remains open, and all cocoa stakeholders are urged to sign it.
Nicaragua joins the International Cocoa Agreement 2010
Nicaragua on 15 July 2013 acceded to the International Cocoa Agreement 2010, the United Nations Treaty Section has confirmed.
Click here to see the official notification of accession to the Agreement from the United Nations.
ICCO Workshop in Cameroon gathers worldwide experts to review cocoa certification
The International Workshop on Cocoa Certification, which took place from 24 to 27 June 2013 at the Sawa Hotel in Douala (the commercial capital of Cameroon), attracted over 150 participants from all over the African producing region and the world of cocoa. It was organized in conjunction with Cameroon’s Ministry of Commerce, the Office National du Café et du Cacao (ONCC) and the United Nations Forum on Sustainable Standards (UNFSS).
At the end of four days of discussions, the Workshop, which heard from 30 speakers and panellists, adopted a list of recommendations including: enhancing transparency on the impact of certification on farmers’ livelihood, through collecting and disseminating information on sustainability standards; acknowledging the role of existing certification schemes, alongside those in development, as potentially efficient tools through which to support the development of a sustainable cocoa economy; and requesting UNFSS consultation for
a better understanding of sustainability standards. The workshop also requested the ICCO to facilitate a direct dialogue between governments representing cocoa producing countries and the cocoa and chocolate companies on this issue.
The week-long event was kindly sponsored by the Government of Cameroon, the UNFSS, the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), Hershey, Mondelēz International and Mars Chocolate.
Pictured: Farmer David Aidoo addresses the ICCO’s Cocoa Certification Workshop in Douala, Cameroon in late June 2013 (top); Karin Kreider of ISEAL (above); Christopher Wunderlich of UNFSS (left)
Full details of the Certification Workshop are available by clicking here to go the announcement page, where most of the presentations and all of the recommendations are available for download.
Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics
May 2013 Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics
London, 29 May 2013–The International Cocoa Organization today released its revised forecasts for the current 2012/2013 cocoa year and revised estimates for 2011/2012 of world production, grindings and stocks of cocoa beans, summarized below. The data published in Issue No. 2 – Volume XXXIX – Cocoa year 2012/2013 of the Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics, reflect the most recent information available to the Secretariat as at the middle of May 2013.
Summary of revised estimates and forecasts
(Oct-Sep)
estimates
forecasts a/
forecasts
Notes:
a/ Forecasts published in Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics, Vol. XXXIX – No. 1 – Cocoa year 2012/2013
b/ Surplus/deficit: net world crop (gross crop adjusted for loss in weight) minus grindings
Totals may differ due to rounding.
Statistical information on trade in cocoa beans, cocoa products and chocolate, by country and by region, published in this edition, covers annual data from 2009/2010 to 2011/2012 and quarterly statistics for the period January-March 2011 to July-September 2012. Details of destination of exports and origin of imports for leading cocoa exporting countries are also provided. Historical statistics on cocoa trade and consumption, by country and by region, for the period 2003/2004 to 2011/2012 are presented for reference.
Copies of the Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics, including in Microsoft Excel files and in Adobe PDF format versions, can be ordered by completing and returning this form or from the ICCO Secretariat at the address below:
International Cocoa Organization
Commonwealth House
1-19 New Oxford Street
London WC1A 1NU, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7400 5050
Fax: +44 (0)20 7421 5500
E-mail: registry@icco.org or info@icco.org
Amsterdam chosen as the venue for the Second World Cocoa Conference in 2014
London, 15 May 2013—Amsterdam, the base for some of the world’s largest processors and traders of cocoa and its products, will be the location for the second edition of the ICCO’s World Cocoa Conference, scheduled to take place 9 – 13 June, 2014.
Besides bringing together key stakeholders in the world’s cocoa value chain, including governments, trade and industry, producers and civil society, to discuss the major issues of the day in the cocoa sector, the second edition of the World Cocoa Conference will review the implementation of the Global Cocoa Agenda adopted at the first edition of the event in Abidjan in November 2012. The Global Cocoa Agenda provides a roadmap for the future of the world’s cocoa sector, including concrete actions to be taken by a wide range of stakeholders to create a sustainable and equitable value chain for all involved in it. The Abidjan Cocoa Declaration, adopted at the same event, has now recorded 34 signatures from key stakeholders across the cocoa sector.
Reviewing the progress achieved along the path to cocoa sustainability will be just one of the many issues to be addressed at the Second World Cocoa Conference in Amsterdam, and as with the previous event, the growers, trade and industry, and civil society will be represented both as participants and presenters.
As at the first World Cocoa Conference, which attracted well over 1,200 participants, the Amsterdam edition will feature presentations, workshops and panel discussions involving the most senior and best informed experts of the cocoa community, making it a valuable forum for anyone in the cocoa business.
The Second World Cocoa Conference is being held for the first time in a cocoa-importing country, in Amsterdam, the hub of the cocoa trade in Europe, at the kind invitation of the Government of the Netherlands. It will also include a trade exhibition, a gala banquet and a number of ancillary events aimed at bringing cocoa stakeholders together, and making the Conference a major networking opportunity.
More details about the World Cocoa Conference Amsterdam, including information about the venue, programme, sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities and registration, are available here.
Images by Geert Snoeijer, Amsterdam Marketing
Terminal Markets and Econometrics Modelling Seminar set for Guayaquil
LONDON, 14 May 2013–The International Cocoa Organization is to run an International Seminar on Terminal Markets and Econometric Modelling of the Cocoa Market at the Sheraton Guayaquil Hotel in Guayaquil, Ecuador, 15 – 19 July 2013, the ICCO announced today.
Organized in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Aquaculture and Fisheries of Ecuador, the week-long Seminar aims to give policy makers and other stakeholders in the cocoa sector, particularly from the Latin American and Caribbean regions, an improved understanding of the functioning of cocoa terminal markets and the enhanced ability to use econometric models to forecast market developments.
Terminal markets, also called futures markets, play a vital role in the world cocoa economy. They allow those in the trade and industry to manage their price risk, provide valuable information on storage decisions, and collect and disseminate information on world prices. In addition to examining in detail the functioning of these markets and recent regulatory changes, the participants will review, among other subjects, the impact of speculative trading on cocoa futures prices and volatility, and price transmission between the futures markets and the physical markets at origin.
Because of the specific nature of cocoa growing, investment / disinvestment decisions in cocoa production capacity takes several years to show their full impact. The lack of adequate forecasting and / or the capacity to conduct it has been a major factor leading the cocoa sector to experience periods of boom and bust, with cocoa prices swinging between less than US$1,000 per tonne in the year 2000 to over US$18,000 in the year 1977 (in 2012 price terms). The techniques involved ineconometric modelling can be used to forecast market development and to help stakeholders, from cocoa and chocolate companies’ market analysts to policy makers, to take informed decisions regarding investment in the cocoa business and thereby, optimize their rate of returns.
The two modules of the Seminar are scheduled to run back-to-back throughout the five days. The module on terminal markets is appropriate for those with an economic or financial background. Meanwhile, quantitative economists, econometricians and statisticians make up the target group for the module on econometric modelling. However, parties with the relevant background or knowledge can participate in either or both modules.
ICCO staff and international experts with an in-depth knowledge of the subjects will deliver the Seminar training. The Seminar follows up on a number of studies on cocoa price determination and the functioning of the cocoa markets published by the Organization’s staff in recent years, and the ICCO also has built a sophisticated econometric model on the world cocoa economy and publishes regular forecasts on cocoa supply and demand based on it. Both module topics already have been the subject of well received seminars held at the ICCO headquarters in London.
The Seminar will be held in Ecuador’s cocoa trading centre of Guayaquil, at the kind invitation of the Government.
More details, including a full programme and a description of the subjects to be covered at the Seminar, are available by downloading the official announcement of the event here. Also included are details of the discounted accommodation rate available for attendees at the venue, the Sheraton Guayaquil Hotel.
Para mayores detalles, incluido el programa completo del Seminario y la descripción de los temas a ser tratador durante el evento, pueden descargar aquí el anuncio oficial. En dicho anuncio también encontrarán los precios preferenciales para los asistentes del evento, que se llevará a cabo en el Hotel Sheraton de Guayaquil.