Bern, February 10, 2021 – The Board of the Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa is pleased to announce the selection of Christian Robin as new Executive Director of the Platform, starting in his new function on June 1, 2021.
Christian is joining the platform from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), where he is currently Deputy Head Trade Promotion, leading SECO's engagement in the area of private, voluntary sustainability standards and labels. In his current role, he has been a key supporter of the Platform since its inception. He commented: “I am thrilled and honoured to contribute to the generation of positive sustainability impacts in the main cocoa origin countries for Swiss chocolate. I look forward to working with all Platform stakeholders to tackle the four most urgent challenges: working to achieve a living income for cocoa farmers and their families, avoidance of the worst forms of child labour, the preservation of existing forests and protected areas, and transparency and traceability in the cocoa value chain."
Christian will take over from Christine Müller, who has been managing the Platform since its inception in 2018.
Filippo Veglio, the Platform’s President, commented: “On behalf of the Board, I would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to Christine, who has been instrumental in setting up and running the Platform up to today. We look forward to leveraging Christian’s experience and leadership to further advance our long-term goal: ensuring that all cocoa imported into Switzerland is sourced from sustainable production. The combination of his professional skills across public-private partnerships, his experience in emerging markets, and his drive to catalyse sustainable impact in cocoa value chains will no doubt be an asset for our Platform.”
The Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa is a multi-stakeholder initiative bringing together the Swiss-based organizations that contribute to the cocoa value chain, including chocolate manufacturers, cocoa traders and importers, food retailers, the public sector, non-governmental organizations, and research institutes. Members are pooling their knowledge and efforts to work for more sustainability in the value chain and they are committed to improve the living conditions of cocoa farmers and their families, protect the natural resources, and create a viable and resilient cocoa value chain for present and future generations.
More information:
Simone Benguerel
Coordination Office
Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa
simone.benguerel(at)kakaoplattform.ch