After two years of online meetings, the European Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery Association (CAOBISCO) held its General Assembly in Ghent, Belgium, from June 16 to 17, 2022. More than 25 delegates from 15 different countries and companies attended the meeting. In their first return to in-person meetings, CAOBISCO welcomed Aldo Cristiano (Ferrero) as the President again. Barbara Blohberger (Mondelez International) and Paolo Casoni (Perfetti Van Melle) are the newly-appointed Vice-Presidents and Urs Furrer, Director-General of the Swiss Association Chocosuisse/Biscosuisse, was elected by CAOBISCO members as the Association’s new Treasurer.
CAOBISCO has gone through a major restructuring process over the last two years, the organization detailed in an announcement. In order to provide continuity to the organization, the so-called ‘Troika’ of CAOBISCO (President and Vice-Presidents) has been unanimously re-elected.
CAOBISCO is addressing the needs stemming from dynamic changes and will focus on export competitiveness, sustainable food systems and supply chain, food security and safety as well as health and nutrition. Emerging issues such as supply security and corporate sustainability will also be tackled.
Cristiano said on his re-election: “I am honored that CAOBISCO Members have given me the trust for another term. It makes me proud to be the representative of such an active association. I will consider my second term in office as a mandate to continue the transformation our association has started two years ago, to meet the expectations of its members and ever-increasing societal and environmental changes. But also to continue to build a correct and robust associative structure in order to strengthen our industry’s resilience to face current and future challenges at EU level”.
He has been in the global confectionery business for more than 20 years, leading the company’s raw material procurement globally and heading the sustainability activities Ferrero is engaged in, while having leading roles of sector-wide initiatives and institutions. He was a Board Member of the ICI (International Cocoa Initiative) from 2007 to 2016, and a Member of the Consultative Board at the ICCO (International Cocoa Organization). Additionally, from 2012 to 2018 he served as a member of the Board of Directors at the WCF (World Cocoa Foundation) and from 2015 to 2018, as Chairman of the FCC (Federation of Cocoa Commerce).
CAOBISCO represents more than 12,000 European chocolate, biscuits and confectionery manufacturing companies, 99% of which are SMEs. Over 225, 000 direct employees work in the sector, which has a total annual turnover of over EUR 42 billion.
Photo: CAOBISCO
