This 5th edition of the World Cocoa Conference will be taking place on 21-24 April 2024 at the Brussels Convention Centre –Square1 – in Brussels, Belgium
The conference will focus on discussing measures leading to an equitable distribution of value along the cocoa supply chain, to ensure a better living income for farmers, under the theme: “Paying more for a Sustainable Cocoa”.
The event will be organized over a four-day period to cover plenary and breakout sessions.
Alongside the regular program the Global Village, a dynamic exhibition, will offer exhibition booths, private meeting spaces, silent sessions, and a number of peripheral events, providing the perfect space for learning, networking and interacting with the global cocoa community.
14:00
WCC5 Conference Registration Opens
17:00
Official Inauguration of the Exhibition
17:30
Welcome Cocktail Reception Sponsored by Molenbergnatie
Two side events will be organized 14:00 – 16:30 at The Square
07:30
WCC5 Conference Registration continues
09:00
Opening of the Conference
Introduction by the Facilitator: Leanne de Bassompierre
Official Opening of the Conference
Welcome addresses and speeches
10:15
Cocoa Break
11:00
Presentation by the Belgian Minister for Development Cooperation,
11:45
Presentation by the Executive Director, ICCO, of the main theme of the Conference,
12:15
Conference programme outlined by the Facilitator: Leanne de Bassompierre
12:30
Lunch Break and Press Conference
14:00
Guest Speaker 1 – Keynote Presentation
14:30
Panel 1: The quest for the living income of smallholder farmers:
why are we stuck and how can we fix it?
16:00
Cocoa Break
16:30
The EU Alliance for a Sustainable Cocoa
Keynote speakers from the European Commission
18:00
Key highlights and summary of the day by the Facilitator: Leanne de Bassompierre
18:30
End of the day
| Time Slot | TRACK 1 | TRACK 2 | TRACK 3 |
| SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT | MARKET DEVELOPMENT | GOVERNANCE, MANAGEMENT AND THE FUNCTIONING OF MARKETS | |
| Moderator 1: Simran Sethi | Moderator 2: Tedd George | Moderator 3: Viwanou Gnassounou | |
| 09:00 | Panel 2: Farmer Income and Social Responsibility in cocoa farming | Panel 6: Prospects for the Asian cocoa markets | Panel 10: Cocoa policies and regulations |
| 10:00 | Q&A | Q&A | Q&A |
| 10:30 | Cocoa Break | Cocoa Break | Cocoa Break |
| 11:00 | Panel 3: The true cost of cocoa | Panel 7: Sensorial and nutraceutical quality attributes | Panel 11: Supply management |
| 12:00 | Q&A | Q&A | Q&A |
| 12:30 | Lunch Break | Lunch Break | Lunch Break |
| 14:30 | Panel 4: Strengthening Global Partnerships | Panel 8: Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures | Panel 12: Commodity Exchange |
| 15:30 | Q&A | Q&A | Q&A |
| 16:00 | Panel 5: The role of women in cocoa community | Panel 9: Cocoa By-products | Panel 13: Farmer Representativeness |
| 17:00 | Q&A | Q&A | Q&A |
| 17:30 | Wrap-up and closing remarks by the Moderator | Wrap-up and closing remarks by the Moderator | Wrap-up and closing remarks by the Moderator |
| 19:00 | GALA DINNER | GALA DINNER | GALA DINNER |
09:00
The Quest for Sustainability: Challenges and Prospects
Guest Speaker 2
09:30
The Global Cocoa Agenda: A Roadmap or A Dead End?
By the authors of the Cocoa Barometer.
10:00
Q&A
10:15
Reports by the 3 Panel Moderators
11:00
Cocoa Break
11:30
Wrap-up by the Facilitator with an interactive panel
12:30
WCC5 Brussels Declaration (the Executive Director of the ICCO will read out the Brussels Declaration and will deliver concluding remarks)
12:50
Official closing of the conference to be followed by a press conference.
13:00
Lunch Break
