The European Cocoa Association (ECA) has appointed Paul Davis, Head of Cocoa at Sucres & Denrées, as new President for the next two years.  

Its latest major appointment comes as the organization, which represents a diverse range of businesses operating within the cocoa and chocolate field, plans for its next major conference, taking place between 13-15 September in Rome. Patrick Poirrier (Cémoi) has been confirmed as the ECA’s Vice President, and Christian Vollers, Managing Director at Vollers Group, has been reappointed as treasurer for the organization. The trio will now be for the association’s new executive committee.

At the event, Davis thanked Harold Poelma, former ECA President, for his major achievements and leadership during his Presidency, including his valuable involvement in sustainability and traceability issues. As the trade association noted, under the outgoing president’s tenure, the association has significantly developed its regulatory activities on sustainability, as well as on trade, food safety, environment, and logistics matters. Consequently, it has been recognised within the region as a committed player in the debates related to the development of the cocoa sector. This is evidenced by the increase in visibility and membership which has been raised by 35% since 2019.

Commenting on his new role, Davis said: “The ECA does exceptional work in supporting the interests of its members and the sector in general. Europe is the most important customer of the cocoa sector and the Association seeks to build confidence in an ever-developing, competitive, efficient trade and industry in the European family. We will continue to work on seeking and achieving balance, fairness, and responsibility within our sector for the benefit of all working in cocoa from ‘farm to fork’.”