It is precisely to build that response that this seminar exists. Now in its sixth edition, it has become a regional point of reference. The event will be held in a hybrid format, so that it can be followed both in person and remotely. This approach broadens its reach and makes it easier for participants from different countries and producing regions to take part.
The programme brings together representatives of public institutions, the productive sector and international organisations, as well as researchers and specialists in finance and rural development. Participants from Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala and Côte d'Ivoire are expected to attend. This blend of Latin American and African experience enriches the dialogue, as it allows different models of production, marketing and producer organisation to be compared across very different contexts.
The programme starts from a clear premise. The biocultural heritage of cocoa should not be seen merely as something to be preserved, but as the foundation on which a more prosperous future can be built for cocoa-growing regions. Under the banner of a more sustainable, inclusive and competitive value chain, the sessions will explore how to strengthen production, broaden opportunities for producers, protect biodiversity and forge stronger relationships among all those involved in the sector.
The seminar also seeks to ensure that dialogue leads to results. To that end, it has been designed as a forum for sharing perspectives on the cocoa and chocolate value chain and for exploring partnerships that respond to real needs. Participating institutions will find here a starting point for joint initiatives that continue well beyond the two days of the event.
The event will be attended by Senator Mely Romero, Chair of the Rural Development Committee of the Senate of the Republic. Her presence reflects the commitment of the legislature to supporting a sector of strategic importance for rural Mexico. The seminar is coordinated by Viviana Carvajal, Director of Agritourism at the Tourism and Society Think Tank (TSTT), who has worked to bring the convening institutions together.
Confirmed participants include representatives of CAF, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). The embassies of Colombia, Guatemala and Côte d'Ivoire in Mexico will also take part, lending diplomatic support that underlines the international character of the event.
The organisation rests on a broad alliance spanning the public, academic, scientific and business spheres. Alongside the Senate of the Republic are Genoma Cacao, the Chapingo Autonomous University, the Juárez Autonomous University of Tabasco (UJAT) and the National Institute for Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research (INIFAP). They are joined by the Centre for Research and Assistance in Technology and Design of the State of Jalisco (CIATEJ), which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Centre for Research on Tropical Agri-food Innovations (CIIAT) and the company Ecom Cacao. The Ministry of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation and the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) are also part of the initiative. The Tourism and Society Think Tank and the World Cocoa Tourism Network are likewise collaborating on this important event, contributing their experience in linking cocoa with tourism and regional development.
The convergence of all these voices makes the seminar a unique opportunity to view cocoa in its entirety, from the farm to the consumer. Mexico thus returns to the centre of a conversation that transcends borders and champions a cocoa sector capable of generating wellbeing, caring for the land and opening up new markets.
