Proforest at the World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting in São Paulo

In March, Proforest took part in the World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting, which this year took place in São Paulo, Brazil. Under the theme “Our Future: Resilience through Sustainability”, the event brought together representatives of companies, governments, producers and civil society to discuss the challenges and opportunities for the sustainable development of cocoa.

Proforest's deputy director in Brazil, Jane Lino, moderated the panel on the business case for biodiversity and agroforestry in cocoa. The panel explored the different perspectives, challenges and experiences of academia, purchasing companies, producers and civil society.

The panel was also attended by Deborah Faria, a professor at the State University of Santa Cruz; Juliette Cody, global climate & nature leader at Barry Callebaut; Cayetano Hernandez, an indigenous leader and cocoa producer; and Ben Valks, founder and CEO of the Black Jaguar Foundation.

The conclusion of the panel was that there is a business case for biodiversity and agroforestry in cocoa production, with results of increased productivity and attractive opportunity costs for producers and companies.

“Cocoa has a unique opportunity among agricultural commodities to be produced in shaded and agroforestry systems, which by their nature contribute to positive results for people, nature and the climate,” said Jane Lino.

The event was followed by a meeting, CocoaAction Brasil, where progress on various initiatives in the sector was presented, focusing on technical assistance, training and financing for producers.