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German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa

About us

The German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (GISCO) is a joint initiative of the Federal Government, represented by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH), the German sweets and confectionery industry, the German retail grocery trade, and civil society. Jointly, the multi-stakeholder initiative aims to improve the livelihood of cocoa farmers and their families, to conserve and protect natural resources and biodiversity in cocoa producing countries as well as to increase the cultivation and commercialization of sustainably produced cocoa. 

To achieve these objectives, the members of GISCO closely liaise with the governments of cocoa producing countries.

The German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa was founded in June 2012 and has been a registered association since April 2014. Currently, GISCO has about 80 members and is open to other interested parties.

For more information, please contact the GISCO Secretariat by email: info@kakaoforum.de.

10 years of the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa: 2012–2022

In 2022, GISCO celebrated its 10th anniversary.
What has the Forum achieved? What were and are the challenges, successes, and impacts?

Find the anniversary flyer (in German) here. 

Gruppenfoto bei der Gründungsveranstaltung

Inaugural meeting in Berlin, 13 June 2012

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