Caobisco

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.

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

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

• Confectionery industry association
• Trade association services
• Industry policy advocacy
• Sustainability programs
• Regulatory affairs services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. 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

Core 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

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• 28 European Business AssociationsmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 January 2026Coalition 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 CoalitionmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 January 2021Joint 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 PlanmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Mars 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Long-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+SportmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Ferrero'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)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012BDSI 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 LifemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Mondelez 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 RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAOBISCO 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-FAOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAOBISCO members support due diligence aligned with OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains.
• CIUS (Committee of Industrial Users of Sugar)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAOBISCO 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurkish 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 CountriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTürkiye 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 CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAOBISCO engages with European Commission on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, EUDR (European Deforestation Regulation), and other regulatory frameworks affecting the confectionery industry.
• FoodDrinkEuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAOBISCO 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

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Caobisco-Chocolate-Biscuits-and-Confectionery-of-Europe/273861249402981
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caobisco
• Xx.com/Caobisco_EU

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Caobisco