Register now: On 8 October 2026, OroVerde – The Tropical Forest Foundation and SÜDWIND are hosting the Responsible Sourcing Summit 2026 in Cologne as part of the BioFinCas and DigiDeFree projects.
This one-day, English-language event offers small and medium-sized enterprises in the coffee and cocoa sectors the opportunity to exchange ideas with other stakeholders, learn about practical examples and work together to develop solutions for resilient, biodiversity-friendly and deforestation-free supply chains.
Event information „Responsible Sourcing Summit“
Date: 8 October 2026
Time: 10.00 am to 4.00 pm, evening networking from 4.30 pm
Venue: die wohngemeinschaft, Richard-Wagner-Straße 39, 50674 Cologne
Language: English
Moderator: Conny Czymoch
Organisers: OroVerde – The Tropical Forest Foundation and SÜDWIND as part of the BioFinCas and DigiDeFree projects.
Agenda
- 09:30 am Arrival, Coffee & Reception
- 10:00 am Opening Remarks (Torsten Klimpel, OroVerde & Friedel Hütz-Adams, SÜDWIND)
- 10:15 am What is currently driving the coffee and cocoa sector?
Percolating Responsible Procurement: The (un)social aspects of coffee and cocoa production (Ashlee Tuttleman, VOCAL Network)
Youth and migration: Insights from the Dominican Republic (Javier Almonte, Centro para la Educación y Acción Ecológica Naturaleza)
The relevance of biodiversity for the future of coffee and cocoa supply (Hugo Enrique Reyes Aldana, The Thünen-Institute)
How to get to the top of the Chocolate Scorecard (Philipp Kauffman, Original Beans)
GEPA’s response to the Empowering Consumers Directive (EmpCo) (Andrea Fütterer, GEPA Barbara Schimmelpfennig, GEPA)
- 01:00 pm Lunch Break
- 02:00 pm Best Practices for Sharing Responsibility (Ashlee Tuttlemen, VOCAL Network; Lennart Clerkx, This side up!; Philipp Kauffman, Original Beans; Joachim Milz, ECOTOP Suisse)
- 03:00 pm Breakout Sessions on:
Communication on biodiversity efforts in the context of EmpCo
Financial solutions supporting smallholders
Exchange on EUDR implementation in SME value chains
- 04:00 pm Recap and Closing Session
- 04:30 pm Open Networking Event at Brauhaus Pütz, Engelbertstraße 67, 50674 Cologne
The summit is dedicated to the key challenges currently facing the coffee and cocoa sectors. The focus is on protecting biodiversity in cultivation, the resilience of supply chains, producers and cooperatives, livelihood-sustaining incomes, and current regulatory requirements such as the EU Regulation on Deforestation-Free Supply Chains (EUDR) and the Directive on Strengthening Consumer Rights (EmpCo). Particular emphasis is placed on the question of how responsibility for the social and environmental challenges within the value chain can be addressed collectively.
In addition, there will be an opportunity to learn more about the work and products of the cooperatives from Mexico, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic with whom we collaborate on various projects, whilst establishing potential business contacts and sampling selected products.
The event will conclude with an informal networking evening, providing an opportunity for further exchange and in-depth discussion with stakeholders from the international coffee and cocoa sectors.
Online-Registration
You can cancel your registration here if you are unable to attend.
Contact
Luise Sophie König (OroVerde)
Friedel Hütz-Adams (Südwind Institut)
Fotonachweis: OroVerde – Luise Sophie König (Header)
