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Some 29 organizations and countries operating across the spectrum of the international cocoa sector by 30 November had signed the ground-breaking Abidjan Cocoa Declaration, the ICCO revealed today.

The cocoa sector stakeholders, ranging from cocoa growers through their governments to civil society and most of the world’s largest manufacturers of chocolate, began the signing procedure at a special ceremony that concluded the World Cocoa Conference in Abidjan last week. A number of additional stakeholders were able to sign the Declaration after the Conference as well, and the Declaration remains open at ICCO headquarters in London to allow more cocoa stakeholder organizations to sign it.

The Abidjan Cocoa Declaration, which recommends specific and measurable actions to achieve a sustainable cocoa economy, reflects the more detailed proposals of the Global Cocoa Agenda. The important issues highlighted by the Agenda formed the basis of many of the presentations, discussions and panel sessions that took place at the World Cocoa Conference.

The Declaration is to be 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 is planned in 2014 to monitor and review the progress made dealing with the issues outlined by the Declaration and the Agenda.

The texts of both the Abidjan Cocoa Declaration and the Global Cocoa Agenda are downloadable from the ICCO website here.

The signatories to the Abidjan Cocoa Declaration by 30 November 2012:

1. Côte d’Ivoire
2. Ghana
3. Cameroon
4. Ecuador
5. The Democratic Republic of Congo
6. Togo
7. Papua New Guinea
8. The ACP Group of States
9. IDH
10. CAOBISCO
11. ECA
12. WCF
13. ICI
14. FCC
15. HCCO
16. Talents
17. Mars
18. Mondelez International
19. Nestlé
20. Ferrero Trading
21. CEMOI
22. Petra Foods
23. Barry Callebaut
24. Cargill
25. ADM
26. Armajaro Trading
27. Touton
28. Olam International / Outspan Ivoire
29. Amtrada / Continaf

ABIDJAN, 23 November 2012–The Abidjan Cocoa Declaration—outlining a course of action to bring about major changes in the cocoa sector–was signed at the end of the successful first-ever edition of the World Cocoa Conference, held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire during the week of 19-23 November 2012.

The Conference, which was attended by over 1,200 delegates from cocoa producing and consuming nations all over the world, climaxed with the signing of the Abidjan Cocoa Declaration by representatives of the cocoa sector stakeholders, including governments, producers, processors, exporters, traders, chocolate manufacturers and civil society. The Declaration aims to move the entire sector onto a path of sustainable development that will benefit all stakeholders along the cocoa value chain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Conference was officially opened by the President of Côte d’Ivoire, His Excellency Dr. Alassane Ouattara (pictured top), with the Ivorian Prime Minister also inaugurating the adjacent Exhibition. Delegates were also able to hear an address on the subject of the worst forms of child labour by the First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire, Madame Dominique Ouattara, who leads the country’s programme to eliminate the practice.

Among the other topics debated by over 90 speakers and panelists at the Conference were cocoa certification, developing a sustainable industry and consumption of cocoa, methods of increasing productivity and improving farmer incomes. The huge range of presentations also informed delegates about the latest developments in the sector, from producer representatives originating from all over West Africa, as well as from Latin America and Asia, and attendees considered the various initiatives under way to help the development of the sector and the millions that depend on it worldwide.

The Conference, which was organized by the ICCO and hosted by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, is to serve as the first stage in the development of the Global Cocoa Agenda, which recommends a series of actions for all stakeholders in order to develop the world’s cocoa sector. The next edition of the Conference, which will track the progress of the initiatives proposed this week, is due to take place in the Netherlands in 2014.

The Global Cocoa Agenda and the Abidjan Cocoa Declaration, as well as most of the presentations made at the World Cocoa Conference, are now available to download here.

Two new studies on cocoa certification commissioned by the ICCO are now available to be downloaded from the website.

The reports, Study on the costs, advantages and disadvantages of cocoa certification, by KPMG and Étude sur les coûts, les avantages et les désavantages de la certification du cacao, by Global Business Consulting Company, both published in October 2012, can be downloaded from the ICCO documents section of the site here.

The ICCO would like to give special thanks to the Governments of the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, as well as to the Association of the German Confectionery Industry BDSI, for their generous contributions towards funding these essential studies of cocoa certification.

Sierra Leone on 1 October 2012 signed the International Cocoa Agreement 2010, the United Nations Treaty Section has confirmed.

Click here to see the official notification of signature to the Agreement from the United Nations.