Prof. dr. ir. Koen Dewettinck is senior full professor, and since 1999 head of the Food Structure & Function Research Group of Ghent University (Belgium). He leads a research group of about 30 people that is focusing on food design on a mesoscopic scale. The main product groups of interest are dairy products, margarines and shortenings, and chocolate and confectionary products. Koen Dewettinck is the founder of UGent spin-off Cacaolab, an infrastructure fully dedicated to innovation and training from bean to praline.

About the lecture

Navigating the cocoa and chocolate industry: Current landscape, opportunities, and challenges.
Tuesday 1 October, 12:10-12:50

The lecture highlights the escalating crises within the chocolate industry, focusing on critical issues such as climate change, declining cocoa yields, deforestation, and ongoing ethical challenges like child labor and fair wages. As rising demand meets shrinking supply, the session examines the growing pressure on the industry and its global supply chain. It sets the stage for future lectures and discussions, offering a foundation for exploring potential solutions aimed at mitigating these challenges and building a more sustainable, resilient future for the cocoa and chocolate sector.