SDGs in our exhibition
Sustainability is a huge topic and often feels abstract. Many people understand that global problems such as hunger exist, but there is a lack of concrete recommendations for action.
The world visits us
For the sixth time now, an international conference on a current topic related to cocoa was held at the Chocolate Museum in Cologne on May 23 and 24. The event is organized and held jointly with GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation) and Südwind. The corona pandemic, as well as food shortages and the energy crisis caused by the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, have led to enormous price increases and global inflation. The population in the West African cocoa-growing regions is suffering particularly badly as a result. The costs of fertilizer, operating costs, food and transport have risen immensely in agriculture worldwide. This also jeopardizes cocoa production. The already precarious living conditions of cocoa farmers have deteriorated further as a result.
Around 70 people from 8 countries took part in the conference. They discussed how sustainable strategies in the cocoa supply chain can be successful and lead to a higher income for cocoa-growing families. Keynote speaker Kristy Leissle, author of the book Cocoa, gave an overview of the current challenges in the cocoa sector in her keynote speech and shared her personal experiences during her research stay in Ghana. After her impressive presentation, an intensive panel discussion began with the following: Pauline ZEI, Director of the national office of INADES, Yuca Waarts, Senior researcher sustainable value chain development Wageningen University & Research, Martin Gilmour, Director Chase Cocoa Consulting, and Kristy Leissle. The topics discussed included poverty, living income, the views of cocoa farmers, certification, climate change, farm size, agroforestry systems and social security. In the afternoon, four working groups dealt with the topics of gender, harvesting and land (use) rights, human rights due diligence and living income. The results of these working groups were compiled and summarized as suggestions. They can be found in the conference documentation.
Together with our partners, the Chocolate Museum is looking forward to hosting another conference on a current topic in 2024.
The conference on our Bel Etage was therefore a great success and stimulated extensive discussions and fruitful ideas.
Incidentally, the Bel Etage is our event location at the very top of the Chocolate Museum. The room has a huge panoramic window with a view of the two most important sights in the city of Cologne: the participants had a view of the Rhine and Cologne Cathedral.
If you would like to enjoy the same view high above the rooftops of the Chocolate Museum, don't worry, you don't have to attend one of the sustainability conferences. The Bel Etage can be booked as a regular event location. Many lovers have already said "I do" here in the Chocolate Museum.
If we have piqued your interest, then take a look here for more information about the Bel Etage: the venue for the 2023 International Cocoa Conference. And perhaps your wedding location?
This post was written by:
Andrea Durry
My name is Andrea and I'm originally from the Eifel region. At the Chocolate Museum I am responsible for the exhibition, the collection and the archive. I've been working at the Chocolate Museum for almost thirty years now and I still eat chocolate every day. I love it with a cup of coffee. My favorite place in the Chocolate Museum is our cultural history department. I am always amazed at what the historical exhibits can tell us.
