Exclusive: Caobisco’s Vice President Aldo Cristiano primed for the World Confectionery Conference

The 2025 iteration of the World Confectionery Conference is now just around the corner, with Caobisco, Europe’s leading sector trade body, set to play its part with a keynote presentation.

Editor Neill Barston quizzes Aldo Cristiano, the organisation’s vice president, on his return as a speaker to our major sector event taking place on 11 September at the Marriott Hotel, Grand Place, Brussels. 

As the vice president, who also serves as Ferrero’s head of institutional affairs and sustainability in Germany, has gained a vast array of experience across the confectionery and cocoa sector. 

Registration to see him at this year’s World Confectionery Conference remains open via our dedicated website at confectioneryconference.com as he offers a taster of just some of the key issues facing the industry during what has already proved a momentous 2025 so far.

Q: Caobisco has recently celebrated its 65th anniversary, how significant a role do you believe it has played for the confectionery sector?
A: Caobisco has been the voice of Europe’s chocolate, biscuit, and confectionery industries for more than six decades. We represent over 14,000 companies, 99% of which are SMEs, employing more than 280,000 people with an annual turnover of over €59 billion. Beyond numbers, Caobisco has safeguarded Europe’s unique culinary heritage, ensuring that consumers can continue to enjoy safe, innovative, and high-quality products. The association has also been instrumental in shaping EU policies on sustainability, trade, and consumer protection, always with the aim of creating a competitive and responsible environment for our members.

Q: How important is it that the industry has the chance to meet in a more intimate setting such as the World Confectionery Conference?
A: Such gatherings are vital. In today’s globalised context, one challenge, whether related to supply chains, sustainability, or regulation, quickly becomes everyone’s challenge. Conferences like this create a trusted space for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and building collective solutions. Our industry thrives when we come together, from farmers to manufacturers, policymakers to consumers , to shape a future that is sustainable, competitive, and innovative.

Q: Having been president of the organisation and now serving as vice president, what have you enjoyed most about these key roles?
A: What I’ve appreciated most is the opportunity to bring people together , our members and stakeholders to find constructive, practical solutions. I’ve valued seeing first-hand how collaborative action, for instance in sustainability projects such as the Caobisco ILO project on hazelnut supply chains, can make a tangible difference on the ground. Strengthening the resilience of our industry while keeping its spirit of creativity and tradition alive has been especially rewarding.

Caobisco has revealed its latest senior management team, which includes Aldo Cristiano, of Ferrero (pictured recently at the World Cocoa Conference), as vice president. Pic: Neill Barston

Q: What have been some of the most significant changes you have seen during your time with Caobisco?
A: The most striking change has been the rise of sustainability as a central pillar of our industry. Ten years ago, issues like traceability, deforestation, and human rights due diligence were not as prominently discussed as they are today. Now, they define much of our agenda. The creation of traceability systems across millions of farms, and the collective work done, show how far we have come. At the same time, we face new challenges from geopolitical instability, energy price volatility, and raw material shortages, all of which demand resilience and unity.

Q: How much of a test is it to move between the work you do day-to-day, and represent the wider interest of the industry with Caobisco?
A: A thriving sector is vital for all stakeholders and complex challenges can only be solved collectively with a shared responsibility approach. That is why my daily work goes hand in hand with the industry sector as a whole.

Q: Caobisco has played its part in representing members in relation to major policy areas such as the EUDR. How hopeful are you that issues on this landmark legislation can be resolved?
A: We strongly support the objectives of the EU Deforestation Regulation, but the implementation is where the real test lies. Our industry is actively preparing for compliance and, in the way, we have developed solutions to address identified challenges, which we have shared with the relevant legislators. There are still some open questions, and for SMEs in particular, compliance could be burdensome. We welcome the efforts by the European Commission to continue providing clarity and support for a workable implementation of EUDR and other sustainability legislation. Now that this year’s main crop season starts and must already be compliant with the EUDR, it is important to underline that all the necessary clarity and tools are available as quick as possible as companies need sufficient time to adapt their systems and processes accordingly.

Q: Beyond work, what do you enjoy most?
A: Yoga: it helps to balance mind and body in challenging and fast running times.

Q: Though 2025 is already proving a challenging year for many SME’s and larger businesses, how optimistic are you that markets will become more settled in the near future?
A: We are navigating challenging times, from inflationary pressures to geopolitical uncertainties. However, I remain cautiously optimistic. The resilience of our sector has been proven time and again, whether during the pandemic or raw material shortages. If policymakers and industry work hand-in-hand to secure open trade, fair regulation, and sustainable supply chains, I believe markets will stabilise. Europe’s confectionery industry has always adapted and innovated; I trust we will continue to do so.

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