Sustainability and the Latin America’s role in the cocoa sector will be among the main topics at this year’s World Cocoa Foundation 24th Partnership Meeting, which will be held Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Oct. 15 - 16. 

And, for the first time, the WCF will be hosting a Cocoa Sustainability Trade Fair, which will run concurrently with the meeting. The 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.

"The Partnership Meeting is a unique opportunity for the global cocoa community to discuss cocoa livelihoods worldwide," says 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 includes:

• 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.

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 event will be held at the Hotel Occidental El Embajador in Santo Domingo.

Sponsors 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.

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.