Caobisco
Caobisco is the Brussels-based European trade association for the chocolate, biscuit and confectionery industries, representing 13,000+ manufacturers (99% SMEs) through 12 national associations and 6 major direct members including Ferrero, Mars, Mondelez and Nestle.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1959
- HeadquartersBrussels, Belgium
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Caobisco does
Caobisco (legally: Association of Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery Industries of Europe) is a Brussels-headquartered trade association founded in 1959 that represents more than 13,000 European chocolate, biscuit and confectionery manufacturing companies, 99% of which are SMEs. Its membership structure comprises 12 National Associations, 6 Direct Member Companies (including Ferrero, Mars, Mondelez, Nestle, Barilla and Barry Callebaut), 2 Affiliated Members and observer members, operating across European markets with an aggregate represented sector turnover of approximately €70 billion and 400,000+ direct employees. The association also holds the Secretariat of CIUS (Committee of Industrial Users of Sugar), extending its mandate beyond confectionery into industrial sugar policy.
The association's revenue is generated through membership fees and is reinvested into four core workstreams: Regulatory & Scientific Affairs (food safety, labelling, Codex Alimentarius), Sustainability (cocoa, hazelnut and palm oil supply chains, including the long-running CAOBISCO-ILO Public-Private Partnership now in Phase V through 2026), Economic Affairs (bilateral trade agreements and export competitiveness), and consumer-facing initiatives such as Treatwell. Distribution of value to members occurs through EU institution advocacy, position papers, presence at ISM Cologne, and member-only intranet resources; the organization does not sell products or commercial services in the traditional sense.
Operationally, Caobisco runs a small Brussels team (1–10 employees) led by a Troika of President Tobias Bachmüller (Katjes), Vice-President Aldo Cristiano (Ferrero) and Vice-President Olga Martínez (Grupo BIMBO EMEA), with Marco Baldoli appointed as incoming Secretary General effective April 1, 2026. The organization engages with the European Commission, European Parliament, UN bodies (UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights), OECD-FAO, and coalitions such as the 28-association EU-Mercosur FTA group. Technology is not a material dimension of its offering; the association's core 'product' is collective policy influence and shared sustainability infrastructure for its members.
Caobisco firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Caobisco
- Legal name
- CAOBISCO (Association of Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery Industries of Europe)
- Website
- https://caobisco.eu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1959
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Caobisco is the Brussels-based European trade association for the chocolate, biscuit and confectionery industries, representing 13,000+ manufacturers (99% SMEs) through 12 national associations and 6 major direct members including Ferrero, Mars, Mondelez and Nestle.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Caobisco industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industry Trade Association
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cookies, Biscuits & Crackers (CRADABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Chewing Gum & Mints (CRADABAC)
Keywords
Where Caobisco is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brussels
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Caobisco business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership fees: CAOBISCO generates revenue through membership fees from national associations, direct member companies, observer members, and affiliated members. The association represents more than 13,000 European chocolate, biscuits and confectionery manufacturing companies through its membership structure.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Caobisco product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Caobisco is the European trade association for the chocolate, biscuit, and confectionery industries. It represents more than 13,000 companies (about 99% SMEs) and several national member associations, advocating on members' behalf in EU regulatory, trade, and sustainability matters and delivering member services such as economic affairs reporting, sustainability programming, and public-private partnership initiatives.
Product overview
Caobisco is a trade association representing European chocolate, biscuit, and confectionery industries. The association does not offer traditional commercial products but provides industry initiatives and services including the Treatwell Initiative (promoting responsible production and mindful enjoyment), the CAOBISCO-ILO Public-Private Partnership for hazelnut sustainability, Regulatory & Scientific Affairs guidance, Sustainability Workstream support, and Economic Affairs advocacy for trade policy. The association also maintains member resources including publications, statistics, and a members-only intranet.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Treatwell: An initiative by CAOBISCO empowering consumers to embrace European culinary heritage and enjoy treats mindfully, while ensuring products are responsibly produced and sustainably sourced.
Products and services
- Caobisco Industry Representation & EU Policy Advocacy
Quantifiable outcome
- 12,000+ children reached through ILO hazelnut project since 2013
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Caobisco
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Caobisco technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Caobisco partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- 28 European Business AssociationsmajorCoalition of European business associations celebrating EU-Mercosur FTA signature. CAOBISCO joined 28 associations in calling for rapid ratification of the agreement.
- 72 U.S. and EU Associations CoalitionmajorJoint letter to President Biden and EU President von der Leyen calling for immediate suspension of retaliatory tariffs. CAOBISCO joined 72 associations representing wide range of industries.
- Mars - Protecting Children Action PlanmajorMars Protecting Children Action Plan (PCAP) addressing child and forced labor in cocoa supply chain, aligned with 2025 goals. Direct member of CAOBISCO.
- International Labour Organization (ILO)coreLong-standing Public-Private Partnership (PPP) since 2013 to eliminate child labour in seasonal hazelnut harvesting in Türkiye. The project entered Phase V in January 2024, running until December 2026. Since 2013, the project has reached nearly 12,000 children and withdrawn or prevented over 9,700 children from hazardous labour.
- Ferrero - Kinder+SportmajorFerrero's Kinder+Sport project promotes physical activity among children, operating in partnership with International School Sport Federation, four National Olympic Committees and 130 Sports Federations. Direct member of CAOBISCO.
- German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (GISCO)majorBDSI launched GISCO in cooperation with the federal German government, German retail trade and civil society. BDSI is a national association member of CAOBISCO. In 2015 GISCO started PRO-PLANTEURS project.
- Mondelez International - Cocoa LifemajorMondelez International's global cocoa sustainability program investing $400 million USD by 2022 to empower cocoa farmers. Direct member of CAOBISCO. All Mondelez chocolate brands will source cocoa through Cocoa Life by 2025.
- United Nations (UN) - UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human RightscoreCAOBISCO members support an EU-wide due diligence approach aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains.
- OECD-FAOcoreCAOBISCO members support due diligence aligned with OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains.
- CIUS (Committee of Industrial Users of Sugar)coreCAOBISCO holds the Secretariat of CIUS, representing industrial sugar users in Europe. The Economic Affairs & Communications Officer independently manages the CIUS Secretariat.
- Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Türkiye)coreTurkish government ministry collaborating on the CAOBISCO-ILO PPP to combat child labour in hazelnut harvesting. Regional governors in Ordu and Samsun also engaged.
- Alliance 8.7 Pathfinder CountriescoreTürkiye was granted Alliance 8.7 'Pathfinder Country' status in 2024, underlining its commitment to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 on eliminating child labour.
- European CommissioncoreCAOBISCO engages with European Commission on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, EUDR (European Deforestation Regulation), and other regulatory frameworks affecting the confectionery industry.
- FoodDrinkEuropecoreCAOBISCO works with FoodDrinkEurope on joint positions including energy crisis response and food policy advocacy. Marco Baldoli previously worked at FoodDrinkEurope before joining CAOBISCO.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Caobisco competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- EUROCOMMERCE: EU-wide trade association for the retail and wholesale sector, also based in Brussels and engaged with the same EU institutions. Marina Valverde (current CAOBISCO Secretary General) previously worked at EuroCommerce, evidencing overlapping networks and advocacy playbooks across the food value chain.
- Chocosuisse-Biscosuisse: Swiss chocolate and biscuit industry association, a CAOBISCO national-association member. Same trade-association function, same confectionery scope, but operating under Swiss rather than EU regulatory sovereignty.
- International Confectionery Association (ICA): Global confectionery trade association of which outgoing CAOBISCO Director General Muriel Korter was also Director General. Operates the same advocacy-and-information model for confectionery manufacturers, but with international rather than purely European scope.
- Unione Italiana Food: Italian food industry association (sweets/confectionery is a key segment), a CAOBISCO national-association member. Comparable Brussels/Rome dual-track EU advocacy setup and similar SME-dominated membership base.
- FoodDrinkEurope: Brussels-based federation representing the European food and drink industry; CAOBISCO collaborates directly with it on joint positions and Marco Baldoli (incoming CAOBISCO Secretary General) previously worked there. Same trade-association model, same EU advocacy remit, but broader food-and-drink scope rather than confectionery-only.
- BDSI (Bundesverband der Deutschen Süßwarenindustrie): German sweets and confectionery industry association, one of CAOBISCO's 12 national-association members. Operates the same membership-advocacy model at national level and runs GISCO, a major cocoa sustainability initiative (PRO-PLANTEURS) that links directly into CAOBISCO's sustainability workstream.
- European Cocoa Association (ECA): Brussels-based trade association representing the European cocoa processing and trade industry. CAOBISCO members' biggest sustainability commitments are upstream (cocoa) so the two associations share advocacy terrain on EUDR, CSDDD and cocoa due diligence.
Regional players
- National Confectioners Association (NCA, USA): The U.S. equivalent of CAOBISCO: trade association for chocolate, candy and gum manufacturers. Highly comparable mandate on sustainability, labelling and trade policy, but it engages U.S. (FDA, USDA, USTR) institutions rather than EU ones, so it is a peer in function rather than a direct competitor for members.
Others
- World Cocoa Foundation (WCF): International cocoa-sustainability platform whose members overlap heavily with CAOBISCO's direct members (Mars, Mondelez, Barry Callebaut, Nestlé, Ferrero). Adjacent rather than directly comparable, since WCF focuses purely on cocoa livelihoods/sustainability rather than whole-of-confectionery regulatory advocacy.
- Federation of Cocoa Commerce (FCC): International trade body that drafts standard cocoa-bean contracts and arbitration rules used by CAOBISCO's manufacturer members. Adjacent enabling-function peer sitting upstream in the supply chain CAOBISCO regulates and advocates on.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Caobisco social profiles
Digital presenceCaobisco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Caobisco leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Caobisco funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Caobisco M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Caobisco
What does Caobisco do?
Caobisco is the European trade association for the chocolate, biscuit, and confectionery industries. It represents more than 13,000 companies (about 99% SMEs) and several national member associations, advocating on members' behalf in EU regulatory, trade, and sustainability matters and delivering member services such as economic affairs reporting, sustainability programming, and public-private partnership initiatives.
Is Caobisco a public or private company?
Caobisco is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Caobisco founded?
Caobisco was founded in 1959. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Caobisco based?
Caobisco is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Caobisco make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership fees.
Who are Caobisco's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are EUROCOMMERCE, Chocosuisse-Biscosuisse, International Confectionery Association (ICA), Unione Italiana Food, FoodDrinkEurope, BDSI (Bundesverband der Deutschen Süßwarenindustrie) and European Cocoa Association (ECA). National Confectioners Association (NCA, USA) is listed as a regional player. Others are World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and Federation of Cocoa Commerce (FCC).
Does Caobisco have an API?
No public API is recorded for Caobisco.
What industry is Caobisco in?
Caobisco's product category is Industry Trade Association. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADABAD, Cookies, Biscuits & Crackers, with a secondary code of CRADABAC, Chewing Gum & Mints. Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.