Chocoa European Markets Academy

Chocoa aims to facilitate the direct trade of cocoa and chocolate. Join the European Markets Academy for a full day of lectures on the requirements for successful operations on European markets, as well as visits to cocoa companies in and around the port of Amsterdam. From customs and health regulations, to customer’s preferences and market developments, this programme provides a good preparation for the export of your product to Europe.

Participants select their own track depending on their interest, and choose 1 program followed by 1 excursion.

Programme 1 (cocoa producers)

Sustainability and Certification (Jack Steijn - Equipoise/ISO 34101 committee), Post harvesting demands of chocolate makers (Zoi Papalexandratou - ZOTO), Logistics & insurance (Renate Herrmann - Edge Group).

Programme 2 (chocolate makers)

Boosting chocolate sales with good packaging (Elizabeth Jackson - Cocoa Runners), Food safety: Consequences of changing health Regulations (Mirjam Pulleman - Wageningen University, CIAT & Marika van Santvoort - Moving Cocoa Consultancy), Trends in the European & Dutch specialty chocolate sector (Nina Conrady - Original Beans & Raymond Soerodikromo - the Chocolate Shop).

Programme 3 (producers - follow up previous year)

Food safety: Consequences of changing health Regulations (Mirjam Pulleman - Wageningen University, CIAT & Marika van Santvoort - Moving Cocoa Consultancy), De-commoditising cocoa (Caroline Lubbers - Equipoise), The European and North American specialty cacao and chocolate market (José Lopez Ganem - FCCI, Harvard University).

After choosing a programme, participants choose one of the 4 excursions (limited availability per excursion):

• Excursion 1: CWT Commodities cocoa warehouse & Cargill factory
• Excursion 2: Tradin Organic factory
• Excursion 3: Royal Duyvis Wiener machinery and presentation of Daarnhouwer specialty cocoa trader
• Excursion 4: Tour of the Port of Amsterdam