Programme

Future of Cocoa Symposium
Theobroma cacao: Tree of Change

Monday, 27 October 2008

Dinner Reception at the Golden Tulip Kumasi City Hotel

Tuesday, 28 October 2008
8:30 am Guests arrive and take seats
9:00 am

Session 1 – Inauguration - Chair Rep of Otumfuo, the Asantehene

Welcome Remarks - Regional Minister, Ashanti Region

Host Remarks from
- representative of the Minister of Finance, Ghana
     - Dr. Howard Shapiro, Mars Incorporated
     - Mr. Sona Ebai, COPAL 

- Keynote Address - John Agyekum Kufuor, President of   Ghana

- Wrap up by Chair
10:15 am

Session 2 – Framing the Future

Keynote speeches
– Prof Jules Pretty, University of Essex
- Mr. Sona Ebai, COPAL
- Dr. Christopher Jackson, World Bank, Ghana
- Dr. Daniel Sellen, World Bank, Cote d’Ivoire
- Farmers’ Forum – Moderated by Dr. Zac Tchoundjeu
12:15 pm Lunch – provided by the Symposium in the hotel

1:00 pm
Ministerial Interventions – Moderated by Mr. Franklin Moore, USAID
Representatives from Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo
Science and Leadership – Mr. Iba Kone, African Academy of Science
2:15 pm Session 3 – Ecology and Biology – Mr. Victor Aygeman, Chair

Keynote speech by
- Dr. Tony Simons, World Agroforestry Centre
- Multifunctional Agriculture – Prof. Roger Leakey
- Genetics and Germplasm - Mr. R. Schnell, Mr. J. N’goran, and Dr. Adu-Ampomah
- Pest and Disease – Mr. Roger Day, CABI
- Diversification – Mr. Stefan Weise, STCP/IITA
- Soils and Nutrients – Mr. Nteryana Sanginga, TSBF and Mr. Joel Joffre
6:30 pm Dinner and a show with traditional Ghanaian dancers and musicians
   
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
8:30 am Session 4 – Economics and Industry

Keynote speech from
- Mr. Bill Guyton, Director, World Cocoa Foundation
- Farm Production Economics – Mr. Jim Gockowski, STCP/IITA
- Risk Assessment – Mr. Alain Fredericq, ADM
- West African Competitiveness – Mr. Francois Ruf, CIRAD
11:00 am Session 5 – Policies and Governance

Keynote speech from
- Ms. Tensie Whelan, Rainforest Alliance
- National Policy Frameworks – Mr. Issac Osei, COCOBOD
- Farmer Orgs, Associations and Collectives – Harrie Hendrickx, Unilever
- Incentives, Subsidies, and Investments – Mr. Rob Moss, Solidaridad
- Co-financing cocoa system health and productivity with carbon – Mr. Jonathan Haskett, Rodel Lasco et al., WAC
13:00 pm Lunch – provided by the Symposium in the hotel

14:00 am
Session 5 – Policies and Governance (continued)

- Health and Nutrition for Farmers and Families – Dr. Anna Lartey, University of Ghana Legon
- Child Labor Experience – Madame Assouan Acquah, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, Cote d’Ivoire and Mrs. Frema Osei-Opare, Deputy Minister of Manpower, Ghana
3:15pm Session 6 – Strategy Session: Rural Transformation to Sustainability

What is the way forward for the future of sustainable cocoa production, intensification, diversification and marketing?

Group Discussions led by moderators
5:00 pm Recap of Group Discussions
7:00 pm Dinner and Guest Speaker – Dr. Dennis Garrity, Director General, World Agroforestry Centre
   
Thursday, 30 October 2008
7:00 am – 12:00 pm Field Trip to local cocoa farms and demonstrations
12:45 pm Session 7 – Discussion Groups

Germplasm – Led by Alan Bennett, University of California, Davis Ray Schnell
Multifunctional Agriculture – Led by Roger Leakey
Farmer Returns – Led by Phil Franks, invited
West Africa Competitiveness – Led by Matthieu Guemas, Cargill and Christophe Kuame, AVRDC
National Policy Frameworks – Led by Paolo Gomes, Ecobank and Franklin Moore, USAID
Farmer Organizations – Led by Edmond Konan, DG Global Business Consulting
4:30 pm Closing Session
7:00 pm Dinner and live entertainment from the Highlife Band