Lessons from cocoa: Does innovation move faster when people care?  

24 Sept 2026
Main Stage
Main Stage
Some foods people can’t live without, and chocolate is a great example. As cocoa harvests fail and prices surge, the pressure on one of the world’s most loved ingredients has exposed something deeper about how the food system works. Innovation speeds up when consumers care enough. Cocoa is proof that when emotional connection and commercial urgency align, viable alternatives can move fast from lab to shelf. So, what can we learn from cocoa - and which other ingredients could trigger that same acceleration when pressure hits?