Cocoa Academy

Objective of the Class

This two-day workshop is designed to equip cocoa industry professionals with a deep understanding of the end-to-end cocoa supply chain, focusing on risk identification, mitigation strategies, and resilience-building measures. Participants will gain insights into international trade obligations, transfer of risks, quality management, regulatory requirements  and effective claims management processes, with contextual grounding in the Hague-Visby Rules.

Small Class of up to 15pax. 

Who should attend?

New entrants or PICs in charge of Supply Chain

Cocoa Traders & Exporters

• Individuals and companies involved in buying and selling cocoa beans.

• Staff responsible for negotiating contracts, managing logistics, and mitigating supply chain risks.

• Parties who need to understand and apply the correct Incoterms to minimize contractual ambiguities and optimize shipping and insurance arrangements for international trade

Procurement Teams

• Teams overseeing supplier relationships, contract negotiation, sustainable procurement, and managing sourcing compliance in line with evolving regulations and traceability expectations

Quality Assurance & Compliance

• Staff tasked with ensuring product quality through accurate sampling, traceability, and adherence to FCC (Federation of Cocoa Commerce) and international standards

Logistics/Supply Chain Managers

• Middle managers & Operations teams overseeing the physical movement, security, and storage of cocoa goods, especially those managing multimodal global transportation and port logistics

Associations/Consultants

• Stay current and offer guidance on best supply chain practices

Key Takeaways for Participants

• By the end of the program, participants will be able to:

• Understand the general obligations of sellers and buyers in cocoa trade contracts.

• Apply “transfer of risks” principles to safeguard commercial interests.

• Implement robust insurance claims management processes specific to cocoa trading.

• Recognize and apply best practices in warehousing, cargo handling, fumigation, and inspection.

• Assess and mitigate risks in pre-shipment, container stuffing/unstuffing, and storage.

• Strengthen operational resilience and compliance 

Highlight – Port Visit & Immersive Session

• A key feature of this program is Day 2’s field immersion, where participants will go beyond the classroom to experience the operational realities of the cocoa supply chain.

• Guided Port Tour: Witness live port operations

• Back in classroom session with the FCC Superintendent 

Day 01 - Classroom Sessions

Logistics and Supply Chain Risk Management

• Components of a Standard Contract - Terms and Clauses

  • Designing governing clauses and terms for robust contract management processes (Quality terms, Payment Terms, Fumigation Terms, Packing Terms, Insurance Terms and Arbitration Terms)

• Applying the right INCOTERMS 2020

  • Detailed understanding of seller/buyer obligations, risk transfer, carriage/freight costs, insurance, proof of delivery, import/export clearance, packaging/marking, cost responsibilities, and notices. 

• Value Recovery through efficient Cocoa Insurance Claims

  • Insights into Institute Cargo Clauses (A,B,C), claims management processes, notice of claims and claim calculation timelines.

• The Hague Visby Rules – Introduction and Relevance

  • Gaining a preliminary understanding of the Hague Visby rules, their applicability on Bill of Ladings, contract of carriage, carrier’s responsibilities and shipper’s responsibilities. 

• Exploring reduction of MOSH/MOAH contamination levels in Cocoa Supply chains

Day 02 - Guided Port Tour and Hands-On Live Experience

Best practices on Warehousing and Quality Management

• Pre-shipment, risk mitigation and regulations in APAC

  • Understanding proper storage and protection measures for cocoa and documentations required for voyage

• Best unstuffing practices

  • Understanding various procedures to ensure cargo quality and compliance to regulations 

• Best storage practices and warehouse monitoring

  • Key guidelines to maintain cargo quality through secure, clean and well-monitored warehousing practices

• FCC analysis, disputes and risks managed by an FCC superintendent

  • Critical quality assessment and risk mitigation processes managed by FCC superintendents from pre-shipment to dispute resolution

  • [LIVE SESSION] Participants will engage in a live session of performing the Cut Test under the supervision of the course lead

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