We were in Singapore earlier this month to meet the people who move the cocoa market.
Two days at the Cocoa Association of Asia International Cocoa Conference at Marina Bay Sands, on 2 and 3 September, with 871 delegates. The theme was "Good together: building an agile cocoa future". Flexible, forward-looking and fair. What that means in practice was the real subject of every session.
What the room talked about
- Price volatility. Record prices are not a headline any more. The conversation has moved on to how you actually run a business at this level.
- Can cocoa truly go green. Agroforestry, carbon markets, traceability, and the question that follows about thirty seconds later in every room: who pays for it.
- EUDR. The debate is no longer about whether it applies, but whether the paperwork behind it holds up.
- The AI transition, which is becoming a serious conversation in this market rather than a side topic.
What people actually asked for
What struck us was what people asked for. Not another dashboard. The unglamorous end of the job done properly. Reading a certificate of origin. Checking a weight note against the contract before the container leaves, rather than after someone rejects it at the port. Holding the EUDR file together.
That is where the margin quietly goes missing, and it is exactly what we build at Apollo Negoce.
Thank you to everyone who gave us their time between sessions.
Frequently asked questions
When and where was the CAA International Cocoa Conference 2026?
On 2 and 3 September 2026 at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, organised by the Cocoa Association of Asia, with 871 delegates.
What was the theme of the 2026 conference?
Good together: building an agile cocoa future. Flexible, forward-looking and fair.
What did the cocoa industry want from AI?
Not another dashboard. The routine work done properly: reading certificates of origin, checking weight notes against the contract and catching mismatches before the container moves.
