07.04.2015
Cocoa farmers form their own interest group
At a constituent meeting held in The Hague at the end of February, the International Cocoa Farmers Organisation (ICCFO) elected the members of its Governing Board and agreed on its objectives and procedures. Representatives from seven cocoa-producing countries attended the meeting.
Back in June 2014, during the World Cocoa Conference in Amsterdam, a number of farmers had come together to establish an international voice for cocoa producers and to better represent their interests vis-à-vis other stakeholders. The ICCFO was officially founded in December 2014. The organisation is committed to sustainable cocoa production that explicitly benefits farmers. In addition to mobilising and connecting farmers, the initial plan is to establish a cooperation network.
On behalf of the Hamburger Stiftung für Wirtschaftsethik, the deputy director, Dr Christiane Staffhorst, attended the meeting in The Hague, which was also attended by guests from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and other organisations. The production and processing of cocoa is the subject of a further sector-specific risk analysis by the Foundation, which is expected to be published in summer 2015.