The collaboration between Cacao of Excellence and Chocoa has flourished for the past eight years, marked by successful pilot cacao bean auctions featuring previous Award winners during two Chocoa Editions.
CHOCOA has earned a reputation for consistently focusing on promoting sustainable superior quality cacao, aligning perfectly with the values and objectives of Cacao of Excellence and its Awards platform.
The 2024 Edition of CHOCOA will be even more exceptional, organisers said, as it combines with the World Cocoa Foundation's 2024 Annual Partnership Meeting. This convergence will bring together key leaders and stakeholders from across the cacao and chocolate industry during the week-long Amsterdam Cocoa Week, fostering collaboration, networking, and knowledge exchange.
"We are thrilled to hold the Cacao of Excellence 2023 Awards ceremony in Amsterdam during Chocoa," said Brigitte Laliberté, Acting Director of Cacao of Excellence. “This collaboration provides an exceptional platform for cacao producers and origins to gain recognition, forge valuable connections with market actors, and explore new opportunities. It's a celebration of their hard work, dedication, and commitment to quality and sustainability."
This collaboration is perfectly timed as this year signifies a significant milestone for Cacao of Excellence – the full operation of its new Cacao R&D Laboratory and Training Centre. The facility, responsible for processing cacao beans from around the globe for quality and flavour assessment, required additional time to ensure its impeccable functionality and to expand its capacity to process larger quantities of samples.
Celebrating in Amsterdam in February 2024 promises an outstanding ceremony, offering a remarkable platform to honour and recognise exceptional cacao producers on a global scale, organisers said.
The timing of the Chocoa Trade Show and Chocolate Festival, combined with the World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting and Amsterdam Cocoa Week, offers a vibrant marketplace and conference event – and a unique platform for direct interaction between cacao producers and potential buyers, traders, and industry professionals from around the world who prioritise quality and sustainability.
Jack Steijn, Co-Founder of Chocoa, said, "We are honoured to host this prestigious Award ceremony that celebrates sustainable cacao and exceptional quality. By convening the world’s best cacao producers, chocolate makers, buyers, traders and sector leaders, we are helping to deliver award-winning cacao to the market, fostering innovation and driving positive change in the cacao and chocolate industry."