International Cocoa Community Convenes In Santo Domingo With A Focus On Sustainability

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ – Global cocoa sustainability experts and practitioners will gather in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on October 15 – 16 for the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) 24^th Partnership Meeting & Cocoa Sustainability Trade Fair. More than 300 guests representing the chocolate and cocoa industry, governments, NGOs, academia, and research institutes from Latin America, the Caribbean, North America, Africa, Asia and Europe will use the occasion to learn about the latest developments in efforts to ensure greater sustainability in the sector.

“The Partnership Meeting is a unique opportunity for the global cocoa community to discuss cocoa livelihoods worldwide,” said Bill Guyton, WCF president. “We’re honored to be hosting the Meeting in the Dominican Republic, and look forward to learning from the Latin America cocoa sector and exploring new opportunities in the region and how it relates to other cocoa-producing regions in West Africa and Southeast Asia.”

The agenda for the Meeting covers topics including Latin America’s role in the global cocoa sector, gender and cocoa, community development in cocoa-growing areas, agroforestry, cocoa genetics, technological advances and more. Speakers for the event feature top sustainability experts from cocoa companies, cocoa producing country governments, non-profit organizations, academia, and more.

The event will take place at the Hotel Occidental El Embajador in Santo Domingo. Running concurrently with the Meeting is WCF’s inaugural Cocoa Sustainability Trade Fair, which will feature information and displays about sustainability efforts being undertaken in the cocoa sector. The event will be followed by site visits to nearby cocoa farms to view on-the-ground sustainability efforts. Sponsors for the event include: Barry Callebaut; Cargill; Mondelez International; ADM Cocoa; The Hershey Company; Ferrero; Rizek Cacao S.A.S.; and Roig Agro-Cacao, S.A, with support from CEI-RD and Olam. Simultaneous translation from English to Spanish and Spanish to English will be available for the duration of the Meeting.

To register, view the agenda, or learn more about the Partnership Meeting, visit: worldcocoafoundation.org/wcf-partnership-meeting. Participate in the meeting remotely by following #WCFPM on Twitter.

About WCF
WCF is an international membership foundation of more than 100 companies that promotes a sustainable cocoa economy by providing cocoa farmers with the tools they need to grow more and better cocoa, market it successfully, and make greater profits. For more information, visit www.worldcocoa.org.