Twice yearly, around May/June and October, WCF hosts a Partnership Meeting & Roundtable Sessions for the international cocoa community, uniting the private and public sectors in a shared mutual interest in advancing cocoa sustainability. This event brings together WCF members and partners to share ideas on a wide range of cocoa-related issues and to show its support for the development of cocoa-growing communities.

Partnership Meetings are held in various locations around the world, and have included cocoa-growing countries such as Ghana and Ecuador. Guests from the cocoa and chocolate industry, governments, NGOs, academia, and research institutes from the Americas, Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia convene to discuss some of the most pressing issues in the cocoa sector. Topics for Partnership Meetings have included innovations in farmer training and services, farmer organizations, education, regional research collaboration, child labor issues, access to finance, and the importance of public-private partnerships.

The 23rd WCF Partnership Meeting & Roundtable Sessions will be held June 5-6, 2013 in Washington, DC at the Embassy Suites – Convention Center.  The theme of the meeting is, “Meeting Tomorrow’s Demand: Productivity, Quality, and Farmers’ Livelihoods.”  Registration is now closed.