SUSTAIN-COCOA Webinar: Research Insights & Industry Dialogue

We are pleased to invite you to a webinar presenting key insights from three years of research on sustainable cocoa supply chains in West Africa.  

Webinar: March 26th from 10:00– 11:15 CET on MS Teams. Please register via the following link.  

(Please note that this is being held from 10:00 – 11:15 CET (Central European Time) - which corresponds to 9:00 to 10:15 am in the UK.)

The SUSTAIN-COCOA project unites eight world-leading research institutes to investigate the conditions under which supply chain sustainability initiatives can lead to reduced deforestation and increased shade tree cover in cocoa production systems.  

The webinar will: 

·        Share findings from SUSTAIN-COCOA on the state of remote sensing tools, traceability and livelihood issues from a scientific perspective. 

·        Foster dialogue between industry stakeholders and researchers to explore how scientific insights can inform sustainable cocoa sourcing strategies. 

·        Solicit input from participants to inform future research priorities and agendas, ensuring alignment with post-EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and tackling industry challenges and needs. 

Key SUSTAIN-COCOA findings to be presented will include:

·        The role of cocoa and its supply chains in deforestation and child labor (Dr. Valentin Guye, Trase/UCLouvain)

·        The unrealized potential of cocoa agroforestry for carbon removals (Dr. Wilma J. Blaser Hart, University of Queensland)

·        Bridging supply chain and landscape interventions with a supply shed approach (Dr. Federico Cammelli, ETH Zurich/University of Cambridge)

·        What are the opportunities of EUDR for sustainable sourcing of cocoa? (Dr. Christian Bunn, Alliance Biodiversity & CIAT)

Participants are warmly invited to engage with speakers to discuss the proposed policy options, share insights and envision future trends in sustainable cocoa production. Your expertise and perspective will be invaluable in shaping actionable recommendations towards achieving sustainable cocoa production. The webinar will be held under the Chatham house rule.

Please register here. Should you have any questions or require further information and do not hesitate to contact us by replying to this email.

We hope to see you there! 

Your SUSTAIN-COCOA team,

Photo credit: Kyle Hinkson on Unsplash