Cocoa Summit and Film Screening: Reclaiming Cocoa with Live Q&A

The Norwich Cocoa Summit is the flagship event of the Norwich Chocolate Festival Fortnight. Anchored to the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (17 October), this year’s theme — ““Ending Social and Institutional Maltreatment: Ensuring respect and effective support for families living in poverty“” — frames our conversations around dignity, justice, and systemic change.

This unique event invites Norwich audiences to connect with global voices, share food and film, and take part in shaping new conversations about responsibility, justice, and the future of chocolate.

Ticket options:

• Full Package: Summit + Meal + Film — includes entry to both events and a freshly prepared meal from African Kitchen (choice of chicken or vegan option).
• Summit Only — access to the Summit, with light refreshments included (meal not included).
• Film Only — access to the evening screening and Q&A (meal not included).

Reduced Price Tickets for Local Residents

We’ve set aside a small number of £20 tickets for the Cocoa Summit and £10 for the screening of Reclaiming Cocoa and The Chocolate War for unwaged local residents who would otherwise not be able to attend. These tickets do not include food, but they do offer full access to the event and discussions.

🧡 Pay It Forward

If you're in a position to help someone else attend, we’ve added a “Pay It Forward” ticket option. Your contribution will go directly towards enabling someone on a low income to take part in the festival.

Together, we can open up these important conversations to more people.

Cocoa Summit (13:45–17:15, registration from 13:15)

Across three panel discussions, the Summit will bring together cocoa farming representatives from Ghana and Colombia, human rights advocates, historians, industry experts, and consumer voices:

• Lived Experience, History & Human Dignity — colonial legacies in cocoa; lived experience of cocoa farmers and communities.
• Power, Policy & Industry Practices — government responsibilities in importing nations; industry accountability, transparency, and systemic change.
• Building a Responsible Future — consumer awareness, action, and collaborative models that genuinely work for cocoa-growing communities.

Unlike traditional conferences, the Cocoa Summit is designed as a space for dialogue, not presentations. Panels are conversational, guided by moderators, with space for audience Q&A and participation.

This unique event invites Norwich audiences to connect with global voices, learn directly from cocoa farming communities, and take part in shaping new conversations about responsibility, justice, and the future of chocolate.

Evening Screening (18:15–21:30)

The programme continues with the Film Screening of Reclaiming Cocoa by Swiss investigative journalist and filmmaker Philippe Stalder, who will join us in person. The film journeys from cocoa farms in Ghana to chocolate shelves in Switzerland, exposing exploitation, imbalances, and deceptive claims of sustainability, while also highlighting local change-makers building fairer futures.

Praised as “a story of resilience, resistance, and hope” (Phil’s Universe) and described as “peeling back the layers of a complex industry, exposing a system rife with exploitation and deception” (Swiss Films), the film is both hard-hitting and inspiring.

The screening will be followed by a live Q&A with Philippe and international guests, offering audiences the chance to join the conversation first-hand.

Meal by African Kitchen

Your full-day ticket includes a freshly prepared meal from African Kitchen, a Norwich-based family business celebrated for its authentic West African flavours. We are proud to be partnering with African Kitchen as one of our festival supporters, bringing the tastes and traditions of cocoa-growing regions into the heart of Norwich. Served at the end of the Summit before the Film Screemning.

Please select one option when booking full package:

• 🍗 Jollof rice with stewed chicken and plantain
• 🌱 Ghanaian waakye with tomato stew and salad (vegan option)