Archive for year: 2016

London, 30 November 2016–The International Cocoa Organization today released its revised estimates, summarized below, of world production, grindings and stocks of cocoa beans for the 2015/2016 cocoa year. The data published in Issue No. 4 – Volume XLII – Cocoa year 2015/2016 of the Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics, reflect the most recent information available to the Secretariat as at the beginning of November 2016.

Summary of revised estimates

Notes:
a/  Estimates published in Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics, Vol. XLII – No. 3 – Cocoa year 2015/2016
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 estimates for the 2015/2016 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, the Bulletin includes comments on the crop and demand situation in the leading countries, and a review of price developments on international markets for cocoa beans during the 2015/2016 cocoa year.

Statistical information on trade in cocoa beans, cocoa products and chocolate, by country and by region, published in this edition, covers annual data from 2012/2013 to 2014/2015 and quarterly statistics for the period July-September 2014 to January-March 2016. 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 2006/2007 to 2014/2015 are presented for reference.

Copies of the Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics, including Microsoft Excel files and Adobe PDF format, 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
Tel: +44 (0)20 8991 6000
Fax: +44 (0)20 8997 4372
E-mail: registry@icco.org or info@icco.org

London, 7 October 2016 – The ICCO is well on track to move to its new headquarters in the Ivorian commercial capital of Abidjan by January 2017, Executive Director Dr. Jean-Marc Anga reported to the 94th regular session of the International Cocoa Council, held in London 26 – 30 September.

Logistics related to the relocation, agreed at last year’s 92nd session, have been progressing well, Dr. Anga said, and the new building being provided by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire was almost ready for occupation by over 20 ICCO staff.

The Council meeting — graced with the presence of the Cameroon Ministers of Commerce H.E. Mr. Luc Magloire Mbaraga Atangana, and of External Relations, Minister Delegate H.E. Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute, the High Commissioner of Cameroon H.E. Mr. Nkwele Ekaney, the Ecuadorian Vice Minister of Agriculture H.E. Mr Luis Valverde and Ambassadors H.E. Mr. Hermano Telles Ribeiro of Brazil, H.E. Dr. Federico Alberto Cuello Camilo of the Dominican Republic, H.E. Mr. Carlos Abad of Ecuador, H.E. Mrs. Guisell Morales Echaverry of Nicaragua, H.E. Mr. Claudio de la Puente of Peru and H.E. Ms. Rocio Manero of Venezuela — also involved discussion of a broad range of other issues related to the Organization’s international work.

At an initial meeting of the Consultative Board on the World Cocoa Economy, members praised the ICCO’s third edition of the World Cocoa Conference (WCC3), held in Bávaro, Dominican Republic, in May, thanks to the generous hosting of the Government of the Dominican Republic. Board members began making plans for a working group to direct the content of the fourth edition, once again to combine with a Council meeting. WCC4 (including the accompanying Council session) is now scheduled to take place 22 – 28 April 2018 at the Maritim Hotel Berlin in the heart of the German capital, by the kind invitation of hosts the Government of the German Federal Republic.

Board members also recommended that the ICCO organize an International Conference on Cocoa Research, and heard a report by the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) on key performance indicators and how they could be used to monitor the success of the ongoing work towards the goals of the Global Cocoa Agenda, the ICCO’s roadmap to a sustainable cocoa sector. The Board also expressed its full support to the Government of Ecuador in its efforts to rehabilitate its cocoa sector following the devastating earthquake that struck the country in April.

After last year’s success, the September session of the Council once again incorporated the Cocoa Market Outlook Conference, a day-long meeting of sector experts whose forecasts and analysis of the cocoa and chocolate business in the current and upcoming cocoa years attracted an appreciative international audience of over 200 participants.

In reporting to the Economics Committee about the outcome of the Asian CocoaSafe project, the Secretariat was able to show that the capacity-building work, conducted in Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea, had achieved more than originally expected in improving stakeholder knowledge on areas such as Good Agricultural Practices and in creating a platform for exchange of information among stakeholder groups.

The Secretariat also reported on nine ICCO projects and studies under implementation and making good progress. The Committee was also updated on the current functioning and efficiency of the cocoa futures markets, following changes in the futures contracts and increased presence of speculators in commodity markets.

On the issue of selecting a new Executive Director, the Council took note of the withdrawal of two applicants out of three vying for the position, leaving only one. Giving due consideration to the possible challenges facing the Organization in its new host country and the need to provide critical continuity in the new environment, the Council decided to extend the appointment of the incumbent Executive Director, for two years, ending in September 2018.

Finally, the International Cocoa Council unanimously elected H.E. Mr. Luis Valverde (Ecuador) as its Chairman for the 2016/17 cocoa year, while Mr. Tri Purnajaya (Indonesia) was unanimously elected to serve as Vice Chairman for the year in question, beginning 1 October.

Mr. Conradin Rasi (Switzerland) was unanimously elected to serve as Chairman of the Administration and Finance Committee for the 2016/17 and 2017/18 cocoa years. H.E. Mrs. Guisell Morales-Echaverry (Nicaragua) was unanimously elected to serve as Vice-Chairman for the two years in question.

On the Economics Committee, Mr. Corneille Tabalo (Democratic Republic of Congo) was unanimously elected to serve as Chairman for 2016/17 and 2017/18. The Vice Chairman for the two years will be nominated by France.

Finally, the Board elected Ms. Cathy Pieters, Director of the Cocoa Life programme at Mondelēz International as Chairman for the 2016/17 and 2017/18 cocoa years. Dr. Victor Iyama of Nigeria was nominated as Vice Chairman.

At a special last-ever London reception held in Wembley Stadium, near the venue of the Council meetings, dignitaries, delegates and Secretariat members from the Organization’s 43-year history gathered to celebrate both the ICCO’s time in the UK and its move to Côte d’Ivoire. Executive Director Dr. Jean-Marc Anga reviewed some of the past achievements and outstanding personnel involved with the Organization and looked forward to the ambitious plans that the ICCO has for its tenure in Abidjan beginning next year.

The 95th regular session of the International Cocoa Council and subsidiary bodies is set for 24 – 28 April 2017 in Abidjan at a venue to be confirmed.

Below: Past and present members of the ICCO Secretariat at the final London reception for the Organization held at Wembley Stadium, 28 September 2016

London, 22 August 2016 – The ICCO today published its Study on the Establishment of a Cocoa Sustainability Fund, which aims at reviewing options to source additional funding to support cocoa farmers.

The cocoa economy faces a number of severe challenges, including low yields and productivity, prevalent poverty among smallholder cocoa farmers, child labour and price volatility, to name just a few. All key stakeholders in the cocoa value chain – including the governments of both cocoa exporting and cocoa importing countries, international developmental institutions, non-governmental organizations and companies – are aware that the precarious situation faced by cocoa farmers must improve. A roadmap, the Global Cocoa Agenda, was set up by the cocoa community at the first World Cocoa Conference, in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, in November 2012.

While many initiatives by parties involved in the cocoa value chain and development agencies have been put in place in recent years, encountering some significant successes, the problems remain, as the challenges are vast and clearly require activities scaled up to ensure that cocoa farmers are given the right opportunities to become successful and improve their situation significantly.

With this background, the ICCO commissioned a study to explore the options for a Cocoa Sustainability Fund, which would be able to mobilize sufficient funds, guarantee the participation of the key stakeholders, and be able to address the most urgent problems faced by smallholder cocoa farmers.

Funds could be sourced from an additional fee charged for certified cocoa, a fee on cocoa financial market transactions, a fee on non-certified cocoa trade, or a voluntary or compulsory levy on every bar of chocolate, the study says. It also makes proposals for management and distribution of the raised funds, based on the experience of similar efforts in other agricultural sectors, for example, in palm oil, cotton, meat and coffee.

First introduced by its main author Friedel Hütz-Adams of the NGO Südwind-Institut at the third World Cocoa Conference in the Dominican Republic in May, the study will be further discussed by the ICCO Consultative Board (representatives from the private sector, the research community, and farmers) in September in London and subsequently by the ICCO Council.

After the success of the inaugural 2015 edition, once again this year, the International Cocoa Organization is to organize a one-day Conference featuring a high-level panel of sector experts who will consider the prospects for the world cocoa and chocolate market for the coming year.

The Cocoa Market Outlook Conference, taking place in the same week and venue as the meetings of the International Cocoa Council and other ICCO bodies, is a unique opportunity to meet with the most recognised analysts of the cocoa and chocolate market and with ICCO members and gain a better understanding of cocoa market developments.

Last year about 220 movers and shakers of the cocoa sector participated at the Market Outlook Conference – offering their insights into market issues and what strategies are being considered to deal with them. The full-day Conference will be conducted in English and include full simultaneous translation into French and Spanish, and delegates will receive all of the presentations after the Conference.

To see a full report on the 2015 edition of the Market Outlook Conference, including presentations and video, click here.