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12. Mai 2017 Cocoa Dinner

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Rede der Senatorin Dr. Dorothee Stapelfeldt

Rede der Senatorin Dr. Dorothee Stapelfeldt beim Cocoa Dinner

Dear Mr Christiansen,
dear Mr Nießner,
dear Mr Nana Oduro,
members of the diplomatic and consular corps,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for inviting me to the Cocoa Dinner! I am delighted to be here tonight and share this big event with you in our city. It’s sort of a “sweet” occasion – but even much more, of course.

It is my honor to welcome you also on behalf of the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg to one of the branch’s most important dates –
the international and the German guests as well as the members of the German Cocoa Trade Association.

We are happy to be home to such a prominent trading association with a tradition of more than a hundred years. Associations like yours form the backbone of the foreign trade location of Hamburg.

They contribute to Hamburg’s reputation as Germany’s Gateway to the world. We import cocoa – and we consume a lot. It makes us happy!

Cocoa is not only a very sympathetic commodity which is processed into pleasant products like cocoa drinks, chocolate or pralines. As a commodity it is also one of the traditional and important goods that are typical for Hamburg and its port. It has been important long before the boom of container shipping came up to predominate all port activities and it will remain so. Commodity trading is a vital part of our port business.

The economic value does not consist in transport by ship or truck only. It also comprises the whole chain of services offered in the port with all its specific services.

Warehousing for instance: It does not only mean simple storing, but also knowing how to treat a natural product, how to keep its quality while storing, when to reintroduce it into the processing chain, and the like.

Or quality control: I understand that in the morning you discussed defining and analysing quality as well as the question of how to avoid harmful substances in the packaging material. Quality management is basic for good business.

As I can see from the list of members of the German Cocoa Association you are mainly small and middle sized companies and specialists in your respective fields. Thus you are typical for the successful part of German family owned businesses who usually also have a strong feeling for their employees.

This leads me to some urgent questions concerning our common social responsibilities as politicians and entrepeneurs as well. I welcome every effort to improve the livelihood of the 50 million cocoa farmers including their families in very poor countries compared to ours.

But I have to say the branch’s attention on matters of human rights, children’s work, fair trade, proper working conditions in general and also the results of monocultures is pretty young. And although you find fair trade cocoa products nowadays even in big discounter stores, their market share is still minimal here.

Ladies and gentlemen,
the conditions in the producing countries are our responsibility. We cannot enjoy all those wonderful products while ignoring their origins.

So I am happy to hear that a number of initiatives were started from your side in order to help these farmers to earn a decent living.

I deeply hope your “sustainable cocoa initiative” will help to eliminate unfair handling of production and trade and support the sustainable development goals of the United Nation’s agenda 2030. We have the power to change things. It is a question of fairness, decency, and dignity.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
maybe I have to underline at this point that I’m absolutely positive of your product – I just love it! Chocolate is a natural mood enhancer. And there are constantly increasing possibilities to enjoy newly created flavours.

I am confident that you, who know all aspects of cocoa – cocoa growing, cocoa trading, cocoa processing – will successfully continue to do so.

I would like to point out that the Hamburg Senate is happy to have you here and we will do what we can to offer good framework conditions for your business.

Thank you for your attention.

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