Beate Weiskopf has led the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa with great dedication for an impressive period of nearly ten years. She played a significant role in establishing GISCO as an institution for sustainable cocoa in both Germany and internationally. Under her leadership, the PRO-PLANTEURS project was created. She successfully united the diverse interests of member groups from politics, business, and civil society to work together for a sustainable cocoa sector, both within GISCO itself and with the other national platforms for sustainable cocoa in Europe (ISCOs). She also served internationally for several years on the Consultative Board of the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) as Chair and Vice-Chair. Her tireless efforts, networking, and deep expertise made GISCO a recognized point of contact for all cocoa-related sustainability matters. Mrs. Weiskopf will now support the development of the cashew sector in Africa from Ghana as Project leader ComCashew under the "Market-Oriented Value Chains for Jobs & Growth in the ECOWAS Region (MOVE)”.
With Martina Gaebler, the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa has gained a competent successor with extensive expertise in sustainable value chains. Mrs. Gaebler is eager to take on her new role and looks forward to actively advancing GISCO’s sustainability goals with its members. She aims to shape the initiative as a dynamic platform for dialogue, knowledge transfer, and learning, both in Germany and internationally. Creating greater impact on the ground in cocoa-producing countries is at the core of her tasks.
The German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa expresses heartfelt gratitude to Beate Weiskopf for her outstanding achievements and dedication during her tenure as Executive Secretary and wishes her all the best for her future endeavors. The German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa welcomes Martina Gaebler and looks forward to future collaboration and her leadership of the organization.
