General Meetings
As a registered association, the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa holds a General Meeting once a year. The members elect the Executive Board at the Annual General Meeting. Further tasks include adopting a budget and deciding on resolutions submitted by the Executive Board.
The General Meetings consist of a public part with presentations on the respective main topic, a panel discussion and workshops. GISCO invites scientists and experienced practitioners to widely discuss the respective topic.
Annual General Meeting 2024
The 12th General Meeting of the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa took place on 14 and 15 May 2024 in Berlin. Click on "learn more" to access the news article on the event and board elections.
Further information on GISCO’s Annual General Meetings:
Topic: Inclusive Living Income Strategies
On May 14 and 15, 2024, the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa held its 12th General Meeting at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in Berlin. The main topic was the development of inclusive strategies to secure a living income for cocoa farming households, which is also the annual theme for 2024 and 2025.
Over 70 members and international guests, including Assata Doumbia from the ECAM cooperative in Côte d'Ivoire, took part in the meeting. In their speeches, Federal Minister Cem Özdemir and Dr. Bärbel Kofler emphasized the importance of joint efforts to improve living conditions in the cocoa sector.
Two key levers for increasing income were discussed: income diversification and sustainable sourcing practices.
New board members were also elected during the meeting. GISCO will continue to work to promote sustainability in the cocoa sector and improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers worldwide.
Access the photo documentation here.
Topic: Approaches to deforestation and climate change in the cocoa sector
More than 80 members and guests of the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (GISCO) came together in Bonn on 03 May 2023 on the occasion of their eleventh general meeting on the topic of approaches to deforestation and climate change in the cocoa sector. A pre-event was held on Tuesday, 02 May 2023.
The annual theme of the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa is Climate Change and Deforestation/Renaturation. The evening event and general meeting picked up on this theme.
You can download the agenda of the Event here: German | English
The press release on the eleventh general meeting of the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa can be found here.
[Präsentation] Dr. Thomas Baldauf, Lisa Kirfel-Rühle, Ryan McNeill, Gerome Tokpa, Wendy Arenas, Vincent Awotwe-Pratt
Impulsvorträge
HerunterladenTopic: Human Rights Due Diligence in the Cocoa Sector: Working Together to Ensure Better Living Conditions for Cocoa Farmers
The 2022 General Meeting took place on Wednesday 4 May and was held in a hybrid format. A pre-event on transparency in the cocoa sector was held on Tuesday 3 May. More than 90 members and guests participated virtually and on site.
The annual theme of GISCO for 2022 is Enabling Environments. The evening event and general meeting took up this theme.
Here you can download the agenda of the event: German | English
The press release on the tenth general meeting of the Forum Nachhaltiger Kakao can be found here.
[Präsentation] Pauline Zéi, Simone Roth, Dr. Bettina von Reden und Christian Hohlfeld
Impulsvorträge
Herunterladen9th General Meeting of the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa on "Strategies to increase the incomes of smallholder farmers in the cocoa sector"
Topic: Strategies to increase the incomes of smallholder farmers in the cocoa sector
The 2021 General Meeting took place on Wednesday, May 5, and, as in the previous year due to the pandemic, was held as a one-day event and in virtual format. Subject to developments with regard to the Covid-19 pandemic, only some board members as well as active speakers were physically present at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in Berlin, while virtual participation was made possible for all other members.
The spotlight of the year for 2021 is “Living Income”. Thus, the General Meeting also took up this issue and dealt with “Strategies to increase the incomes of smallholder farmers in the cocoa sector”.
You can download the agenda of the General Assembly here: German | English
Here you can find a press release on GISCO's ninth General Meeting.
Click here to read the documentation of the event.
Topic: Protection of human rights along international supply chains using cocoa as an example
The eighth annual general meeting of the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa took place on September 8, 2020. Due to Corona-related regulations, the event took place one-day and virtually - this year exceptionally only for members.
Further documents and information on the general meeting can be found in the member section (login required).
[Präsentationen der Redner] Dr. Maria Flachsbarth
Eröffnungsworte Mitgliederversammlung 2020 des Forum Nachhaltiger Kakao
Herunterladen[Präsentationen der Redner] Michael Windfuhr
Deutsches Institut für Menschenrechte: Wie können die Menschenrechte von Kleinbauern und –bäuerinnen und anderer Akteure entlang der Kakaolieferkette geschützt werden?
Herunterladen[Präsentationen der Redner] Wolf Kropp-Büttner
Eröffnungsrede Herr Kropp-Büttner, 08.09.2020
HerunterladenTopic: Living income and better living conditions for cocoa farmer families
The 7th Annual General Meeting took place on May 07-08, 2019 in Berlin at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Please find the agenda of the public meeting here.
Information on the internal general meeting see members section (access after login).
[Präsentationen der Redner] Michel Arrion
ICCO: Strategische (Neu-)Ausrichtung der ICCO und ihr Beitrag zu einem nachhaltigeren Kakaosektor
Herunterladen[Präsentationen der Redner] Beate Weiskopf
Forum Nachhaltiger Kakao e.V.: Entwicklungen beim Living Income
Herunterladen[Präsentationen der Redner] Judith Steffens
PRO-PLANTEURS: Das Forumsprojekt PRO-PLANTEURS - Rückblick
Herunterladen[Präsentationen der Redner] Sonia Lehmann
PRO-PLANTEURS: Das Forumsprojekt PRO-PLANTEURS - Ausblick
HerunterladenTopic: Sustainability in the Cocoa Sector
[Redner] William Saab
NewForesight: Monitoring-Framework für die globale Kakao-Agenda und Bezug auf die Berlin Declaration (World Cocoa Conference 2018)
Herunterladen[Redner] Anke Massart
Barry Callebaut: Fortschritte und Monitoring - Forever Chocolate
Herunterladen[Redner] Dr. Marco Hartmann
Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH: Engagement der deutschen Regierung - Grünes Innovationszentrum Côte d'Ivoire
HerunterladenTopic: Human rights and children’s rights
[Redner] Dr. Christiane Hellar
Hamburger Stiftung für Wirtschaftsethik: Kakao – Eine ethische Risikoanalyse
Herunterladen[Redner] Gaël Lescornec
World Cocoa Foundation: Neue Strategien für mehr Nachhaltigkeit im Kakaosektor
Herunterladen[Redner] Nick Weatherill
International Cocoa Initiative (ICI): Strategien zur Bekämpfung von Kinderarbeit im westafrikanischen Kakaosektor
Herunterladen[Redner] Telse Badil
Programm PRO-Enfant, Burkina Faso (KFW/GIZ): Strategien zur Verbesserung der Lebensbedingungen der Kakaobauern – Menschenrechte und Kinderrechte
Herunterladen[Redner] Richa Mittal
Fair Labor Association (FLA): Strategien zur Verbesserung der Lebensbedingungen der Kakaobauern – Menschenrechte und Kinderrechte
Herunterladen[Redner] Sonia Lehmann
Forum Nachhaltiger Kakao e.V.: Rückblick – Ausblick PRO-PLANTEURS
Herunterladen[Redner] Beate Weiskopf
Forum Nachhaltiger Kakao e.V.: Rückblick – Ausblick Forum Nachhaltiger Kakao e.V.
HerunterladenTopic: Strategies to improve the living conditions and income of cocoa farmers
[Redner] Michael Windfuhr
Deutsches Institut für Menschenrechte: Wirtschaft und Menschenrechte
Herunterladen[Redner] Stefanie Lehmann
Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Ernährungsindustrie (BVE): Globale Ziele für Nachhaltigkeit und Menschenrechte und die nationale Umsetzung: Wo steht die Ernährungsindustrie?
Herunterladen[Redner] Beate Weiskopf
Forum Nachhaltiger Kakao e.V.: Fortschritte und erste Ergebnisse Pro-Planteurs
Herunterladen[Redner] Kouassi Soumaila Bredoumy
Ministère de l'Agriculture et du Développement Rural (MINADER) Côte d’Ivoire
Herunterladen[Redner] Coralie David
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): Responsible agricultural supply chains to improve farmers' income
Herunterladen[Redner] Dr. Torben Erbrath
Bundesverband der deutschen Süßwarenindustrie e.V. (BDSI): CEN/ISO-Prozess
Herunterladen[Redner] Beate Weiskopf
Forum Nachhaltiger Kakao e.V.: Nutzung der Ergebnisse aus den World Cafés 2014 und 2015
HerunterladenTopic: Cocoa and sustainability: Consumer expectations and desires
Topic: Towards a sustainable cocoa sector – what could be the contribution of GISCO?
Topic: Founding of the association and initial milestones of the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa
