Privacy Notice
Last updated: 12 August 2026
1.Who is responsible for your data
Your personal information is collected and processed by Bioversity International, as part of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, through its programme Cacao of Excellence (CoEx/Alliance).
2.What information we collect
| Information | Why we need it |
|---|---|
| Name and email address | To create your account and identify you in our records |
| Profession | Required when you register for a training, if not already on file, to help us plan and tailor that training to the group |
| Country | Optional. To understand where interest in our training comes from. See below for how this is used differently from your other information |
| Organisation / Company | Optional. To understand who trains with us and spot opportunities to work with your organisation |
| Training registrations and payment status | To manage your bookings. Card details are handled directly by our payment provider; we do not store them |
| Training completion and certification status | To track your progress toward CoEx credentials, including certification renewal dates |
| Your CoEx serial ID | A reference number for your record, used to verify your status on request |
We only collect what is needed to run the training and certification programme, nothing more.
Profession is asked once, the first time you register for a training if it isn't already on your profile, and is required at that point: understanding the mix of people in a session, for example whether participants are mostly producers, quality managers, or chocolate makers, lets us plan and adapt the training for their benefit. It is not required simply to create an account.
Country and organisation are treated differently from your name and email. You may be asked for these at the same time as profession, but they are always optional. We use them, including in aggregated or published reporting, to understand demand for CoEx training and who we are training, and to help target future programmes. Unlike your name or email, neither is used on its own to identify you, and we do not publish breakdowns in a way that could single you out.
3.Who can access your information
Your information is accessible to a limited number of CoEx programme administrators who manage registrations and certification records. It is not sold, and it is not shared with third parties for marketing purposes. Three exceptions where information leaves this system:
- Our payment provider, to process training payments;
- Google, if you choose to sign in with a Google account;
- The CoEx Sensory App, but only if you ask us to connect your accounts — see below.
4.Connecting your CoEx Sensory App account
The CoEx Sensory App is a separate CoEx tool for cacao sensory evaluation. It keeps its own accounts, and the two systems know nothing about each other unless you choose to connect them.
If you use the "Connected accounts" option on your profile, we check whether an account exists in the CoEx Sensory App under the same email address as yours. We show you what we found and ask you to confirm it is you. Nothing is recorded unless you say yes. If you do, each system stores a reference to your account in the other — no other information is copied between them.
We ask you to confirm your email address before this is offered, so that nobody can connect to an account by entering someone else's address.
You can disconnect at any time from the same place on your profile, which removes the reference from both systems. Disconnecting does not delete either account, and does not affect your training records or your credentials.
5.The CoEx public registry
If you complete a training or certification stage that carries a CoEx credential, such as Trained Taster or Certified Taster, your name and credential status may be listed in a public CoEx registry that others can search. This helps buyers, employers and partners verify a credential is genuine.
This listing is optional. You can choose not to appear in the public registry, even if you hold the credential, and your credential itself is unaffected either way. You can set this preference from your profile, or contact us to opt out at any time.
6.Where your data is stored
Your data is stored on servers located in the European Union, regardless of where you access your account from.
7.Your rights
You can, at any time:
- Access the personal information we hold about you.
- Correct any information that is inaccurate or out of date.
- Ask us to erase your information entirely. We will delete your account and personal data on request, except where we are required to keep certain records by law.
- Opt out of appearing in the public CoEx registry, without affecting your credential.
- Withdraw consent for optional uses of your data at any time.
- Object to or ask us to restrict how we use your information.
- Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe your data has not been handled properly.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details below.
8.Changes to this notice
We may update this notice from time to time, including as the My Profile system and certification pathway develop. Where changes are material, we will make reasonable efforts to notify active account holders.
9.Contact
For questions about this notice, or to exercise any of your rights, contact us at cacaoofexcellence@cgiar.org.
By creating a My Profile account, you confirm that you have read and understood this Privacy Notice.
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