FEDECACAO brings the global cocoa community together in Yopal, Colombia, for international seminar
26-08-2026
Yopal will become an international meeting point where Colombian cocoa converges with tourism, biodiversity, and global markets.
The 8th International Cocoa Seminar, to be held on September 3–4, will bring together producers, business leaders, researchers, experts, and national and international representatives to examine the future of the cocoa value chain.
On September 3 and 4, Yopal will host experts, producers, entrepreneurs, researchers, and representatives from several countries for the 8th International Cocoa Seminar, organized by the National Federation of Cocoa Growers (FEDECACAO).
The event will address the main challenges and opportunities facing Colombia’s cocoa value chain, taking a perspective that goes beyond agricultural production to encompass rural tourism, biodiversity, processing, innovation, sustainability, gastronomy, value creation, and access to domestic and international markets.
FEDECACAO has confirmed that the seminar will feature leading national and international experts, speakers, and exhibitors. The presentations will also be available through the event’s official livestream.
From cocoa cultivation to a destination experience
One of the seminar’s distinctive themes will be an exploration of how cocoa can become a catalyst for territorial development, connecting plantations with experiences that bring visitors closer to the culture, biodiversity, gastronomy, and traditions of cocoa-growing communities.
In this context, the seminar will explore opportunities to move beyond traditional production toward cocoa-based tourism experiences, enabling visitors to discover plantations firsthand and participate in processes such as harvesting, fermentation, drying, processing, and chocolate making.
This vision is aligned with the international work carried out by the Tourism and Society Think Tank (TSTT) and its World of Cocoa and Cocoa-Derivative Tourism Destinations Network, which promotes cocoa as a connecting element between rural tourism, heritage, gastronomy, sustainability, and the development of producer communities.
An international perspective
The seminar will feature participants from Colombia, Spain, the United States, Venezuela, and Germany, among other international stakeholders. This diversity will provide an opportunity to examine cocoa from multiple perspectives and connect agricultural production with issues that are critical to the sector’s future, including marketing, exports, innovation, sustainability, scientific research, tourism, and access to specialized buyers.
Among the international speakers will be Antonio Santos del Valle, President of TSTT and the Global Network of Cocoa and Cocoa-Derivative Tourism Destinations, who will present an international perspective on cocoa-based rural tourism and the opportunities this model could offer Colombia.
The program will also address international certification, quality standards for premium markets, export logistics, productivity, profitability, sustainability, biodiversity within cocoa-growing ecosystems, and the evolving requirements of international markets.
Casanare: Cocoa, biodiversity, and new opportunities
Holding the seminar in Yopal provides an opportunity to position Casanare and Colombia’s Orinoquía region as territories capable of integrating agricultural production, biodiversity conservation, rural tourism, and value creation.
During the second day, the program will feature a gallery of posters and entrepreneurial initiatives related to rural tourism, biodiversity, and cocoa processing. It will also provide forums for discussing rural security, safeguards for cocoa businesses, large-scale commercial production models, and Colombia’s opportunities to strengthen its position as a leading producer of fine-flavor cocoa in international markets.
The 8th International Cocoa Seminar therefore seeks to connect two worlds that increasingly share common ground: the countryside where cocoa is produced and the territory that can transform it into a tourism, gastronomic, cultural, and business experience.
For two days, Yopal will serve as Colombia’s gateway to the global cocoa community.
For further information:
Maria Victoria Correa, Communications Coordinator
In collaboration with:
This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies.
