> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://cocoaradar.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Beyond the Price Spike: Singapore Prepares for Cocoa’s Next Big Conversation - URL: https://cocoaradar.com/beyond-the-price-spike-singapore-prepares-for-cocoas-next-big-conversation/ - Published: 2026-08-28T09:22:27.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-28T09:54:59.000Z - Description: As the global cocoa sector confronts volatile markets, regulatory upheaval and questions over future supply, the Cocoa Association of Asia is bringing the industry together. CocoaRadar speaks exclusively with CAA Secretary General and COO Shirley Choo about why this year’s gathering matters - Author: Anthony Myers - Tags: CAAICC2026 💡 The CAA International Cocoa Conference and Dinner takes place at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, on 2–3 September 2026\. CocoaRadar is the event’s official media partner and will report live from the conference. For much of the past two years, one story has towered over the global cocoa industry: price. Record-breaking markets and concerns over future supply have forced businesses throughout the value chain to rethink long-held assumptions. At the same time, companies are confronting tougher sustainability requirements, new regulatory demands and changing consumer behaviour. But as the industry prepares to gather in Singapore, the conversation is beginning to move beyond the price spike. The more fundamental question is whether cocoa has entered a new era – and, if it has, what kind of industry will emerge from it. That question will run through the CAA International Cocoa Conference and Dinner, taking place on 2–3 September 2026 at Marina Bay Sands under the theme ‘Good Together: Building an Agile Cocoa Future’. As the event’s official media partner, CocoaRadar will report live from Singapore as producers, traders, processors, chocolate manufacturers, policymakers, financiers, sustainability specialists and technology providers examine what comes next for the sector. Advertisement [ ![Foodmasters-innovation-experience](https://storage.ghost.io/c/42/e5/42e56cb4-2135-4886-b7a8-860153b64965/content/images/size/w1400/format/webp/2025/12/FMF-Newsletter-Banner-300x250px-300dpi-251128.jpg) ](https://www.foodmasters-freiberg.com/en/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=newsletter&utm%5Fcampaign=ad&utm%5Fcontent=qsm%5Fplaceholder) For Shirley Choo, Secretary General and Chief Operating Officer of the Cocoa Association of Asia (CAA), one word in this year’s theme is particularly significant: agility. > “For me, agility is really the word for our industry now because things are moving so quickly,” Choo tells CocoaRadar. “In the last few years, we have had to deal with record prices, supply challenges, evolving regulations, sustainability expectations and changing consumer demands, often all at once.” But agility, she stresses, should not be confused with simply responding faster to the next crisis. “Agility is not just about reacting fast. It is about being practical, staying connected, and being ready to adjust together when the environment changes.” ### Beyond the Immediate Crisis The cocoa sector has spent much of the past two years responding to extraordinary market conditions. Supply concerns and record prices have forced processors and chocolate manufacturers to confront costs few had built into their long-term models. Yet price is only part of the story. Companies are also adapting to evolving European Union regulations and demands for greater traceability, transparency and accountability across agricultural supply chains. For Choo, one ambition for Singapore is to shift the industry conversation from reaction towards strategy. “Price volatility and supply uncertainty will of course remain part of the conversation, but I hope delegates leave looking beyond the immediate headlines,” she says. “The bigger question is: how do we strengthen the sector for the long term? That means talking about innovation, productivity, sustainability, stronger partnerships and, very importantly, better support for farming communities.” Her hope can be distilled into a simple shift in the question. “I would love to see the conversation move from ‘what happened?’ to ‘what can we do together next?’” ### What in the Cocoa World Is Going On? That challenge begins with one of the conference’s headline discussions, ‘What in the Cocoa World Is Going On?’ The session will bring together industry voices to consider record prices, supply uncertainty, changing regulations and evolving consumer expectations. It aims to separate short-term noise from long-term structural shifts and explore what may lie ahead. Rather than offering another round of day-to-day market commentary, the discussion will examine where the cocoa sector may be heading over the next three to five years. Prices, supply, climate and regulation will all form part of that equation. ### Will Cocoa Grind to a Halt? The macro debate sets the stage for another provocative session: ‘Will Cocoa Grind to a Halt?’ The question is not whether processing will literally stop, but what record cocoa prices, persistent supply concerns, cost-of-living pressures and increasing regulatory requirements mean for grindings, consumer demand and the future affordability of chocolate. For Asia, the debate carries particular weight. The region is an increasingly important centre for cocoa processing, chocolate manufacturing, ingredient innovation, consumer-market growth and supply-chain connectivity. Moderated by the CocoaRadar Editor, the panel will examine what demand and consumption could look like over the coming years. The aim is not to predict a single outcome, but to test whether the assumptions businesses have traditionally planned on still hold. ![Image shows Shirley Choo (pictured centre) at dinner with panellists for 'EU Crash Test' ahead of this year's conference.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/42/e5/42e56cb4-2135-4886-b7a8-860153b64965/content/images/2026/08/choo-crash-test-panel-dinner.jpeg) Shirley Choo (centre) talks 'EU Crash Test' with panellists ahead of this year's conference. Image: CAA ### The EU Regulatory ‘Crash Test’ Markets represent only one side of the transformation. Another discussion moderated by CocoaRadar will confront the EU’s shifting regulatory landscape. The ‘EU Crash Test’ session will examine rising compliance expectations, traceability systems and commitments to sustainability. For companies operating in Asia, the effects will be felt wherever cocoa destined for European markets is produced, traded or processed. The panel will ask whether the industry is ready and explore whether greater alignment and leadership are possible. Can regulation deliver meaningful change across global cocoa supply chains, or will it introduce additional cost and complexity? Can stronger traceability and transparency become sources of competitive advantage? ### The Challenges Are Too Connected The breadth of the programme reflects a central reality facing cocoa in 2026: few of its biggest problems can be solved in isolation. Supply resilience is connected to farm economics. Farm economics is connected to sustainability. Sustainability is increasingly connected to regulation and finance. Traceability is connected to technology. All of these factors ultimately influence what manufacturers can make, what consumers will buy and what farmers are paid. That is why Choo believes bringing the value chain into the same room is essential. > “The challenges we face are too connected for any one part of the value chain to solve alone,” she says. “Each group sees the industry from a different angle, and that is exactly why it is so important to bring everyone into the same room. When producers, traders, manufacturers, regulators, financiers and technology providers are part of the same conversation, we get a more complete picture and, hopefully, more practical outcomes.” Sometimes, she adds, progress begins by breaking established industry habits. “I also find that some of the best conversations happen when people step outside their usual circles and start listening to each other.” ### Turning Disruption Into Opportunity If volatility has exposed vulnerabilities in the cocoa system, it has also created pressure for faster innovation. Technology and traceability systems are developing, companies are examining supply chains in greater detail and sustainability programmes are evolving. For Choo, the opportunity lies in turning that pressure into lasting improvement. “Disruption is never easy, but it can also create momentum for change,” she says. “We are seeing opportunities around traceability, technology adoption, sustainability initiatives and new ways to strengthen supply chains.” EUDR provides a clear example of the tension. Implementation brings challenges across complex supply chains involving large numbers of smallholder farmers, but the direction towards greater transparency is unlikely to disappear. > “Regulations such as EUDR are pushing companies to look more closely at transparency and accountability, and while that comes with real challenges, it can also help move the industry towards a stronger and more sustainable future,” Choo says. “The organisations that are willing to collaborate, adapt and innovate will be better placed to navigate what comes next.” ### An Industry That Still Wants to Meet Another signal is emerging ahead of Singapore: the industry is showing up. Registration is nearing capacity, while the gala dinner is fully subscribed and has a waiting list. For Choo, that says something important about the mood within the sector. “To me, it shows that people still believe in the value of coming together,” she says. “Even with all the challenges around us, there is a real appetite to share knowledge, exchange ideas and build partnerships.” She sees the participation as evidence that companies do not regard themselves simply as passengers in the transformation now taking place. > “The industry does not want to sit on the sidelines. People want to be part of the conversation, and more importantly, part of shaping what comes next.” ### From Regional Gathering to Asian Industry Fixture For Choo, CAAICC 2026 also represents something more personal. She has watched it develop from a regional meeting into an increasingly international gathering for cocoa and chocolate businesses with interests across Asia. “CAAICC 2026 is shaping up to be a very special event, and I am truly encouraged by the strong interest from across the global cocoa and chocolate industry,” she tells CocoaRadar. “What matters most to me is how far CAAICC has come – from a regional gathering to what I believe is now the leading cocoa and chocolate industry convention in Asia,” she says. But scale alone is not how she measures its progress. “More importantly, it shows the value of bringing different voices together to have honest conversations, share practical ideas and work through challenges as one industry.” For Choo, the human element remains central. > “On a personal level, hosting this event means a great deal to me. Cocoa is ultimately about people and relationships, and I want to sincerely thank the team and everyone working behind the scenes with me to bring this conference together.” ### What Happens After Singapore? Any industry conference risks losing the energy generated in the room once delegates board their flights home. For Choo, avoiding that outcome will be the real test of success. “Success would be if delegates leave with useful ideas, meaningful connections and practical takeaways they can bring back to their businesses and organisations,” she says. “Success is creating a platform where people feel they can have open, constructive and honest conversations.” But the larger ambition extends beyond two days in Singapore. “For the wider industry, the real success is when those conversations do not end in the conference room, but continue as action, partnership and stronger collaboration long after everyone has gone home.” That may be the most important measure of CAAICC 2026\. Cocoa does not lack challenges. What the industry needs are places where these connections can be confronted: between price and productivity, regulation and farmer livelihoods, traceability and technology, sustainability and commercial reality, supply resilience and consumer demand. After two extraordinary years, delegates may arrive wanting to know where cocoa prices go next. They may leave confronting a larger question: what does a resilient cocoa industry need to become now? For Choo, the answer begins with agility, collaboration and a willingness to continue the work after the lights at Marina Bay Sands have gone down. “I look forward to welcoming everyone to Singapore and seeing what we can continue building together beyond the conference.” - **Read more of our coverage on the CAAICC 2026:** [Good Together: Why Asia’s Cocoa Moment Matters NowFrom 1–4 September 2026, the global cocoa and chocolate industry will converge at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre for the Cocoa Association of Asia International Cocoa Conference, Exhibition & Gala Dinner (CAAICC2026). CocoaRadar announced as official Media Partner![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/42/e5/42e56cb4-2135-4886-b7a8-860153b64965/content/images/icon/sophie-LOGO-FINAL_WEB-a7b6ea66-6a9e-45f5-a7f9-c46c2413d1c6.png)From The Desk of CocoaRadar™Anthony Myers![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/42/e5/42e56cb4-2135-4886-b7a8-860153b64965/content/images/thumbnail/asian-cocoa-farmer-adobestock--8fb1d39a-9234-45b2-b837-7ca271a05976.jpg)](https://cocoaradar.com/good-together-why-asias-cocoa-moment-matters-now/) --- **cocoaradar.com is:** - **Official Media Partner -** [**CAA International Cocoa Conference**](https://www.caacocoaconference.org/programme?ref=cocoaradar.com) - **'From Our Desk. To Yours. Daily'** - [**Sign-up here**](https://cocoaradar.com/#/portal) **for free and choose your plan.**