International Cocoa Organization

The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) is a global organization, composed of both cocoa producing and cocoa consuming member countries. Now located in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the ICCO was established in 1973 to put into effect the first International Cocoa Agreement which was negotiated in Geneva at a United Nations International Cocoa Conference. There have since been seven Agreements. The Seventh International Cocoa Agreement, negotiated in 2010 in Geneva, came into force provisionally in October 2012.

The mandate of the International Cocoa Organization is to work towards a sustainable world cocoa economy. The concept of “sustainability” encompasses social, economic and environmental dimensions in both production and consumption. This includes work on customs tariffs on cocoa bean imports, cocoa semi-products and chocolate; (indirect) taxes related to cocoa consumption and processing; production costs in different countries and regions; market information for cocoa farmers; and Price Risk Management for farmers through co-operatives.

Price risk management for cocoa farmers projects, price monitoring for daily cocoa prices and for futures, are two areas in which the ICCO is particularly relevant to the agricultural risk management community.  The ICCO has also done work related to pests and diseases with an action program on pesticide residues carried out in 2007, projects on cocoa quality improvement, and cocoa marketing and trade projects. Their website also provides a valuable section of information about cocoa, including such topics as growing cocoa, harvesting and post-harvest of cocoa, processing cocoa, trading and shipping, the chocolate industry, health and nutrition, and pests and diseases.