Cargill highlights accomplishments in cocoa sector

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands – IN ITS first global progress report, Cargill chronicles its achievements in support of cocoa farming in Asia, Africa and Latin America. 

“Our ambition is to accelerate progress towards a supply chain that is transparent, enables farmers to achieve better incomes and living standards, and delivers a sustainable supply of cocoa and chocolate products”, said Jos de Loor, president of Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business. “We believe educated, empowered and successful farmers are essential to meeting the challenges facing the cocoa and chocolate sector. This report shows how we are making a difference but also highlights the progress we still need to make.”

The report, entitled “A thriving cocoa sector for generations to come,” includes the following accomplishments as brought about by more than a decade of work and the Cargill Cocoa Promise, a programme that addresses the needs and challenges in the global cocoa sector:

- Over 115,000 farmers trained in good agricultural practices in C?te d'Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, Indonesia, Brazil and Vietnam.

- 2,550 Farmer Field Schools established globally to provide training and knowledge sharing locally.

- 77,000 farmers and over 342,201 hectares certified through farmer cooperatives and organisations.

- Establishing the Coop Academy in C?te d'Ivoire – a unique, industry-first programme to provide cooperative leaders with knowledge and skills to grow their businesses more successfully.

- U.S. $25 million of certification premiums paid to farmer cooperatives – 50 percent directly benefits farmers while remainder invested by farmer organisations in local communities.

- 25.3 million seedlings distributed to support growth in cocoa production, particularly in Brazil.

- Improved access to education for over 34,000 children in cocoa communities through school build activities, training teachers and providing books.