http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/ en Copyright 2012 Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:08:43 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Entry: Marisa Yoneyama, World Cocoa Foundation On July 19th, first lady of Côte d’Ivoire, Dominique Ouattara, and president of WCF, Bill Guyton, signed an agreement to develop and implement educational and vocational training programs to benefit cocoa farmers and their families in Côte d’Ivoire. The three-year agreement is valued at $3.6 million and will benefit more than 12,000 Ivoirians through successful WCF educational programs that are active in the country and in other West African countries. We were honored to spend time with the First Lady, who was gracious and kind, and delivered a powerful message in the support of the protection of children in the cocoa sector: “I am very happy to be with you today in Washington, DC for this meeting which testifies to our collective action against child trafficking and exploitation on cocoa plantations. First of all, I would like to thank the various speakers who preceded me at this forum, for their kind words about me. Mr. Daouda DIABATÉ, Ambassador of Côte d’Ivoire in the United States, and Mr. Bill Guyton, President of the World Cocoa Foundation. Mr.Guyton, I welcome the signature of this Memorandum of Understanding which will enable us to harmonize and coordinate our respective programs to fight against child exploitation in cocoa production. It is certain that together, we will be stronger, and better able to insure a brighter future for our children, by allowing them to take their places on school benches instead of on cocoa plantations. I would also like to thank you most sincerely for the honor you have accorded me in giving me this prestigious award. Your institution, the World Cocoa Foundation, is the symbol of social development promotion in cocoa growing communities. So, is it with appreciation and gratitude that I accept the prize you offer me in acknowledgement of my commitment to the well-being of children. I also accept this prize in the name of all of the Ivorian mothers and fathers who dream of a better, safer future for their children; a future filled with quality education and fair economic opportunities. Ladies and gentlemen, Today’s meeting is an important moment for me, in that it is taking place after Côte d’Ivoire’s recent reclassification just after the reclassification of Côte d’Ivoire from Tier 3 country to a Tier 2 in its progress in the fight against child exploitation and child labor. This meeting also allows me to express my views on my personal commitment and that of my country to fight against the atrocity of child exploitation. It is an opportunity for me to publically thank my husband, President Alassane OUATTARA, who has translated his determination to fight against child exploitation into firm policy decisions and actions, including the establishment of the Cacao-Coffee Council earlier this year, and setting the price of cocoa to allow farmers to earn the type of fair wage that will enhance their ability to participate in and benefit from the cocoa value chain, and effectively take more children out of the fields, and put them back in the classrooms, where they belong. For me, the fight against child exploitation, and its eradication — in all its forms– is chief among the priorities I have set for myself as First Lady. In fact, on November 3rd, 2011, when I was appointed head of the National Oversight Committee on child trafficking, exploitation, and labor, I officially made the commitment to fight to end child exploitation in our country. This cause is a fundamental one for me, because, as a mother and activist for the rights of children, and as First Lady, I could not let this evil continue depriving our children of their tenderest and best years, and ruining their future. With the Committee that I chair and the Inter- ministerial Committee, represented today by Minister Raymonde Coffie, we have begun to work and have developed a National Action Plan against trafficking in children. - As early as August 2012, we will launch an extensive communication at the national level that will involve all media, in order to raise Ivorian public awareness, including among the parents of our children, and especially targeting our farmers. - We will also organize a seminar with the district and regional-level officials (prefects), to invite them to join in the fight, and provide us exact figures that will enable us to develop reliable statistics on this scourge. As local authorities, they are close to the people and will effectively relay our message in the field. - Within the framework of monitoring and evaluation activities, which is an essential mission of the National Oversight Committee, we will conduct field visits to areas of cocoa production, to implementation establish of and some assess the programs in progress, in the fight against child labor. This National Action Plan will be implemented through 2014, and will enable us to significantly reduce child trafficking in cocoa production. We are aware that we still have a long way to go to achieve the complete eradication of the child trafficking, labor, and exploitation, but the award that I receive today will strengthen our determination, and encourage us to Ladies realize even and better results. gentlemen, this meeting also gives me the opportunity to pay tribute to all the actors who help us through their involvement. Among them are the national and international organizations, technical and financial partners, NGOs, civil society organizations, media, local communities, and all community stakeholders in the fight. Indeed, given the gravity phenomenon, a collective and of the energetic response is required, and it is hand in hand that we can make the exploitation of children a bad memory, a thing of the past. Ladies and gentlemen, dear members of the World Cocoa Foundation, No tradition, no custom, nothing should ruin the future of our children. The place of children is at school, not on the farms. Let’s protect them today against all forms of exploitation. Thank you.” The original posting, courtesy of The Government of Côte d’Ivoire, and distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com) can be found here. ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/07/wcf_and_first_lady_of_cote_div.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/07/wcf_and_first_lady_of_cote_div.php Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:08:43 -0500 Entry: Margaret Odotei, World Cocoa Foundation Three hours of heavy rain and one hour of drizzle was hardly enough to stop the enthusiastic children, community members, government officials, development partners and officials from the cocoa industry who had gathered to commemorate the 10th edition of the World Day Against Child Labour. This year’s events, with the theme Human Rights and Social Justice: Let’s End Child Labour, was held in Accra and in Bedum, a small community in the Central Region. In line with the MOU signed last year between WCF and the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, we supported the national event to commemorate the World Day Against Child Labour as well as the community event. Mr. Takyi Sraha, Technical Advisor for ACI participated at the national event and I participated at the community event in Bedum. At the community event, the high point was the colorful and great performance by the pupils of the Bedum Basic School. Through dramatized poetry recitals and a musical drama, the children called for the respect of their human rights in line with the theme. The Regional Minister for the Central Region, Madam Ama Banyiwa Doe who gave the keynote address, called for parents to place premium value on their children’s education to ensure a brighter future for families and for the country as a whole. WCF on its part joined its voice with the voices of partners to call for: • National policies and programmes to ensure effective progress in the elimination of child labour • Action to build the worldwide movement against child labour As I reflected on the day’s event, the words of Nelson Mandela echoed in my mind: "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/06/wcf_echoes_participation_in_wo.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/06/wcf_echoes_participation_in_wo.php Fri, 15 Jun 2012 14:52:50 -0500 Entry: Mbalo Ndiaye, World Cocoa Foundation May 21, 2012, marked a significant step in the Government of Côte d’Ivoire’s commitment to setting the ways for a stronger relationship with the cocoa industry and other stakeholders. On behalf of the World Cocoa Foundation, Jean-Yves Couloud, our representative in Côte d’Ivoire, and I were convened in Abidjan, by the Cocoa and Coffee Council for the official launching of the National Cocoa/Coffee Public-Private Partnership Platform. The ceremony was presided by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Mamadou Coulibaly Sangafowa. This initial step in revamping policy dialogue, setting common priorities and leveraging resources and investments, was widely welcomed by key stakeholders in the Ivorian cocoa sector who were present at the ceremony. Also present were World Cocoa Foundation company members Mars, Kraft Foods, Nestle, Armajaro, Olam, Cemoi, Barry Callebaut, ADM, Cargill, Noble Resources and Ecom, as well as other WCF partners such as IDH, UNDP and GIZ. The platform, which is actively supported by WCF through the WCF African Cocoa Initiative (ACI), will be key in boosting mutual trust and maintaining regular dialogue between the Government agencies, the industry, NGOs and international donors involved in cocoa development, and contribute in leveraging investments and funding in the sector. WCF is expected to play an active role in mobilizing and coordinating with the private sector (member companies), in bringing its technical expertise as a permanent member of the Technical Secretariat, and supporting the platform’s activities through ACI. Farmer training, certification, pest control, research, access to planting material and agro-inputs and child labor have been identified by the Cocoa and Coffee Council as the most critical and urgent issues to address through the Platform. With its over 10 years experience in these areas in Côte d’Ivoire, WCF expertise and contributions will be critically valuable for the success of this initiative. ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/06/cote_divoire_launches_its_firs.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/06/cote_divoire_launches_its_firs.php Wed, 06 Jun 2012 09:18:14 -0500 Entry: Mina Lassey, World Cocoa Foundation The WCF Cocoa Livelihoods Program is a partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 16 WCF industry members that was formed in 2009 to increase the livelihoods of approximately 200,000 West and Central African cocoa farming households. This program reaches farmers and improves their income through three main components: improving marketing efficiency, improving cocoa production efficiency and quality at the farm level, and improving famer competitiveness on diversified cocoa farms. The third goal specifically includes business and marketing training for farmers, as well as the establishment of business service centers as a resource for farmers. WCF/CLP organized its 7th Steering Committee Meeting in Côte d’Ivoire from the 8th -9th May 2012. As part of the activities, the Program Management Unit together with the Technical Partners of the WCF/CLP organized a Field trip to Diangobo on the 7th May, 2012. Diangobo is a small community in the Abengourou district that benefitted from the WCF/CLP interventions. It is located in the Eastern Region of Côte d’Ivoire, and has a population of approximately 6,000 people. For this community, access to the local market is a particular concern as the roads are unpaved and transportation system is highly unreliable. The community depends on wells and streams for water and the local school is located in the center of the village. The majority of the households in Diangobo depend on agriculture as the primary source of revenue. Typically, cocoa is grown on small family farms that are diversified to include food crops, such as cassava, plantain and maize. The family cultivates these food staples for personal consumption or sale at the local market. Cocoa farmers of Diangobo commercialize their beans through a coop called CADI (Cooperative Agricole de Diangobo) which was created in November 1999. The field visit to this community included the President of WCF, Bill Guyton, the US Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, representatives from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, cocoa industry contributors, and technical partners. During this exciting field visit, farmers in the CADI cooperative narrated the state of the cooperative prior to the WCF/CLP interventions. The cooperative had challenges to function properly as a result of lack of proper management, lack of proper record-keeping, low quality of cocoa beans produced, and inability of farmers to bargain for higher prices for cocoa beans produced. WCF/CLP started its activities in the community in 2009 through its various technical partners to strengthen and professionalize CADI, train the community farmers in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to improve the quality of their cocoa, supply farmers with improved cocoa pods as well as agricultural inputs and provide training in the correct use of the inputs. In addition, 152 of these cocoa farmers received 9,514,880 FCFA ($US 18,600) in input credit through their Farmer Organization to improve productivity of their farms. To complement the GAP training, farmers received training in business skills to manage their farms as an enterprise and diversify their crops and income sources. The program also established a Business Service Center (BSC) hosted by CropLife International thirty kilometers from Diangobo, in the main town of Abengourou, where farmers can access information on cocoa prices and marketing as well as purchase approved inputs. Farmers were proud to share with participants that after the WCF/CLP interventions, the CADI cooperative functions very well as they have now elected management staff who oversee the activities of the cooperative; records are kept correctly and members are now in the position to bargain for higher prices. Majority of them who applied the improved practices correctly and consistently now produce better quality cocoa beans and have doubled their cocoa productivity and income levels. Farmers are also able to do a simple cost benefit analysis of cocoa and other crops, plan the yearly cropping and calculate money in / money out, as well as diversify their cropping system to include various crops which they sell for additional income. The participants also visited a cocoa farm to see the kind of management practices that farmers apply on-farm; the proud farm owner whose name is Koffi, shared how he manages his farm, and applies improved practices and pesticides. His one and a half hectare farm which previously produced 10 bags of cocoa now produces 20 bags even without fertilizer application. He hopes to complete his building by the end of next year despite the fact that he is also supporting his three children in a secondary education. The farmers were so grateful to the World Cocoa Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, industry contributors and all the Technical Partners (SOCODEVI, GIZ, TechnoServe, IITA/STCP and ANADER) for the interventions which have tremendously improved their livelihoods. ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/06/7th_wcfclp_steering_committee.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/06/7th_wcfclp_steering_committee.php Fri, 01 Jun 2012 13:58:23 -0500 Entry: Geert Waelkens, World Cocoa Foundation On May 15th the World Cocoa Foundation received the 2012 Academy Prize of the Académie Française du Chocolat et de la Confiserie (French Chocolate and Confectionery Academy). The Academy prize, awarded every year since 2000, seeks to acknowledge and distinguish any person, or institution, whose activities have contributed to heighten the ethical standards either in terms of the professional excellence achieved in the realm of chocolate and confectionery craftsmanship or, and perhaps even more importantly, in terms of the concern to improve the condition of cocoa farmers worldwide and to help eliminate child labour. This is an issue that the Academy has particularly insisted upon in recent years. It is in this respect that the World Cocoa Foundation has been chosen as this year’s prize recipient. The Académie Française du Chocolat et de la Confiserie was created in 1998 and has 40 elected members from different backgrounds and skills, brought together by a common interest and concern for cocoa, chocolate and confectionery. The aim of the Academy is to act as a moral authority with regard to the chocolate and confectionery crafts and as a guardian, both of tradition and innovation, within the framework of professional ethics. Its goal is to promote and develop the values of quality and excellence, as well as to ensure the defense and promotion of the French chocolate and confectionery traditions.]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/05/wcf_receives_2012_academy_priz.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/05/wcf_receives_2012_academy_priz.php Mon, 21 May 2012 10:46:28 -0500 ADM, Safmarine and Cocobod since January in their respective offices/ depots in Kumasi, Ghana. The WCF Agric Logistics Skill Development Program is a certificate program designed to equip post-secondary Ghanaian youth with sufficient knowledge in logistics, transportation, supply chain, warehousing, information technologies, and other skills to help qualify them for employment as logistics/warehousing technicians, especially in the cocoa industry. Participants are specifically selected from cocoa growing areas. In an interview with the students, they expressed how important these internships have been to their entire training tagging it ‘an eye-opener’. They are very pleased with the hands-on effect being added to the informative classroom training and field trips taken in the early stages of the course. Some specifics have been the field use of Webpro and JDE software amongst other pertinent logistics and supply chain tools as well as marketing and human relations skills. Thanks to the Partners for being so warm to the students; they have good stories about the staff they have been in contact with. Participants interviewed indicated that the program has given them new paradigms. This has been to the extent that some have moved from selling car tires and being internet café attendants to a decision to take-on a degree course in Logistics & Supply Chain Management. They now see themselves as professionals. The program has certainly turned lives of the youth involved around, a very rewarding way to give back to the people from whose households come cocoa. ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/04/wcf_agricultural_logistics_ski.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/04/wcf_agricultural_logistics_ski.php Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:13:59 -0500 Entry: Marisa Yoneyama, World Cocoa Foundation The WCF Cocoa Livelihoods Program (CLP) is a partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 16 WCF industry members that was formed in 2009 to increase the livelihoods of approximately 200,000 West and Central African cocoa farming households. This program reaches farmers and improves their income through three main components: improving marketing efficiency, improving cocoa production efficiency and quality at the farm level, and improving famer competitiveness on diversified cocoa farms. The third goal specifically includes business and marketing training for farmers, as well as the establishment of business service centers as a resource for farmers. WCF/CLP partner GIZ works with the agriculture extension agencies of the national governments of Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria to provide Farmer Business School (FBS) training to cocoa farmers. Over 60,000 farmers have been trained since 2009, including 13,000 women. Following up on the good agriculture practices training, FBS focuses on the principles of farming as a business – cost benefit analysis of cocoa and other crops, planning the yearly cropping and cash in / cash out calendar, and diversification and marketing of various crops. Observed changes made by FBS graduates to date include registering new farmer organizations, opening group bank accounts for savings and credit, and maintaining a financial calendar for farm and household revenue and expenditures. Farmers who have been trained through Farmer Business School have reported the following positives: “I had been doing business without bothering about what goes out and what comes in, I had wasted my effort and time not knowing what I was doing, henceforth, I will take records of all that I do”….. R.E. Okokhuo FBS, Edo State “We have formed a taskforce to ensure that all members in our group comply with spacing and pruning practices on their farms and recommended post-harvest methods. We have all agreed that defaulters will be fined”….. P. N. Wula FBS, Cross River State Training farmers to properly care for their farms to improve productivity as well as training farmers to be more effective in the marketplace leads to increased incomes, which in turn, leads to greater purchasing power for the household including buying food for their families and school fees and supplies for their children. This good work would not be possible without the partnership between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as well as our members: Archer Daniels Midland Company, Armajaro, Barry Callebaut, Blommer Chocolate Company, Cargill, Ecom Agrocacao, Guittard Chocolate Company, The Hershey Company, Kraft Foods, Mars Inc., Noble Resources S.A., Olam International Ltd., Petra Foods Ltd., See's Candies, Inc., Starbucks Coffee Company, and Transmar Commodity Group Ltd. Session on financial management in Nigeria. Photo credit: GIZ ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/03/cocoa_farmers_taking_care_of_b.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/03/cocoa_farmers_taking_care_of_b.php Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:19:58 -0500 Entry: Margaret Odotei, World Cocoa Foundation It must have been the great ‘Boboobo’ dancing of the traditional dance group at the event, or the fact that Likpe Bakwa in Hohoe is home to some of the most beautiful sceneries in Ghana, or maybe it just was the hard work by NPECLC and its partners that had brought us all to this festive day. Participating in the GCLMS (Ghana Child Labour Monitoring System) launch at Likpe Bakwa in Hohoe in the Volta region of Ghana has been one of the most fulfilling moments so far this year. The GCLMS aims at obtaining comprehensive information, instituting timely and sustainable responses and mainstreaming Child Labour into national policies to contribute to Ghana’s target of reducing child labour by 70% by 2020. The keynote address by the Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, an anecdote of his attitude to education as a child, and the day his parents had him arrested by the police for being truant resulting in his reporting to the police station daily to sign in on his way to school contributing to who he is today, drove home the value of education to parents and children from the various communities present at the launch event. On behalf of WCF, I had the opportunity to highlight our programs which raise awareness and provide alternatives to child labor, such as educational opportunities and economic activities to raise farmer incomes. The messages of partners such as the GIG, ICI, ILO, COCOBOD and the US government who graced the occasion added to the festive mood of the launch ceremony. We say kudos to the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare/NPECLC for the hard work in bringing the GCLMS to see the light of day! ‘Boboobo’ is one of the traditional dances of the Volta Region of Ghana Margaret Odotei, World Cocoa Foundation ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/03/gclms_launch_with_ministry_of.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/03/gclms_launch_with_ministry_of.php Fri, 23 Mar 2012 11:59:57 -0500 Entry: Ethan Budiansky, World Cocoa Foundation On March 14th and 15th, the WCF Cocoa Livelihoods Program (CLP) organized its 7th Technical Planning Meeting in Accra, Ghana. Over forty people participated, including CLP partners from implementing organizations, the cocoa companies, local extension agencies from Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire, country cocoa research facilities, as well as a number of other participants. They discussed topics such as measuring the impact of the CLP on farmers’ livelihoods and strategies for moving ahead. ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/03/wcf_cocoa_livelihoods_program.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/03/wcf_cocoa_livelihoods_program.php Fri, 23 Mar 2012 11:21:34 -0500 Entry: Bart Kroon, Continaf Joining with WCF and its partners proved to be an effective way to align and activate industry efforts toward the further development of a growing and sustainable cocoa economy in Indonesia. The platform meeting clearly opened opportunities for collaboration and identified the challenges of local and international supply chain and productivity perspectives. The introduction on AMARTA II program clearly confirmed that focus lies on structural improvements on productivity and effectiveness of supply chain supported by both public and private parties. It was a joy to travel with a delegation to west Sulawesi and be a witness of the progress made under AMARTA I, Gernas and the Nestlé cocoa plan. We have been impressed by the impact of the recently installed West Sulawesi governmental structure. Looking back both the field visits organised by the ministry and the story telling by Manfred Borer and his team inspired me to continue to support and invest in a sustainable cocoa economy in Indonesia and to continue to sell the value of such effort to our clients and their clients. Pictured: Bart Kroon visiting West Sulawesi cocoa farm]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/03/wcf_southeast_asia_visit_indon_1.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/03/wcf_southeast_asia_visit_indon_1.php Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:29:50 -0500 This post originally appeared in the USAID Impactblog on February 14, 2012. They say the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. And whether you’re enjoying the fruits (or beans!) of the world’s cocoa harvest through your favorite candy bar during your afternoon snack, or receiving a heart-shaped box of cream-filled goodness for Valentine’s Day today, it’s worth considering how the delectable confection came to be in the first place – and how supporting the industry can lead to increased global food security. You might think that’s quite a jump. But cocoa in West Africa contributes considerably to farmer livelihoods and national economies. Collectively, this region’s 2 million smallholder cocoa farmers produce approximately 70% of the world’s supply. With a projected strong, long-term demand, cocoa has great potential to increase these farmers’ incomes. To do so significantly requires improving productivity to make cocoa farming more economically attractive and environmentally sustainable. The U.S. Government is supporting precisely these efforts with Feed the Future, President Obama’s global hunger and food security initiative. Through a partnership between the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Cocoa Foundation and the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), Feed the Future has embarked upon an alliance that will help alleviate poverty and increase farmer incomes in West Africa while strengthening government and regional institutions, advancing food security throughout the region. Over its five-year lifespan, Feed the Future’s Africa Cocoa Initiative (ACI) will leverage a total of $11 million in investments from its principal partners. It also includes private sector participation from key chocolate-producing companies, including ADM Cocoa, Barry Callebaut, Blommer Chocolate Company, Cargill, Continaf BV, Ferrero, Guittard Chocolate Company, The Hershey Company, Kraft Foods, Lindt & Sprungli, Nestle, Olam International Ltd. and Mars. To create an environment where increased productivity is possible, the ACI is providing farmer productivity training, including disease and pest control, harvesting, drying, pruning and worker safety; introducing higher-yielding tree stock; and working with agro-dealer networks to improve access to fertilizer, inputs and extension support. The project also supports propagation of new clones and seed gardens adapted to West African soils. Ultimately, the ACI aims to double cocoa productivity and train 100,000 farmers. So it’s nice to keep in mind that, as you enjoy your chocolate treats today and all year long, there are long-term efforts in place to help those who made its production possible. And that’s an idea we can all fall in love with. Feed the Future is the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative. To learn more or to get involved, visit www.feedthefuture.gov.]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/02/on_valentines_day_reflecting_o.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/02/on_valentines_day_reflecting_o.php Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:50:11 -0500 This post originally appeared in the Plant Molecular Biology Lab, IPB, Bogor blog of Prof. Sudarsono on February 3, 2012 Fellowship and Research Program Officer of World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), Ms. Virginia Sopyla – plan visit Department of Agronomy and Horticulture (AGH), IPB, Bogor on Monday – February 6, 2012. The purposes of her visit will be: (1) to learn more about cocoa research conducted at IPB and (2) to meet with Dr. Dini Dinarty – former Norman E. Borlaugh – WCF Cocoa Fellowship.Ms. Sopyla will also give a brief presentation on the World Cocoa Foundation and its activities for those who are interested. World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) is a non-profit organization founded in 2000 for the purpose of promoting social and economic development as well as environmental stewardship in cocoa-growing communities. The foundation is a membership-based organization with about 70 member companies involved in the cocoa and chocolate industries around the world. The foundation is based in Washington, DC. and supports programs that benefit farmers in cocoa-growing regions in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Americas. Specific program activities include training for farmers and communities as well as applied scientific research. One of these programs is the Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Program – Global Cocoa Initiative. The program is jointly implemented by the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and the US Department of Agriculture/Foreign Agricultural Service, and support scientists from cocoa-producing countries to complete two-to-three month fellowship in the United States. Last year, Dr Dini Dinarti of Department of Agronomy and Horticulture (AGH), IPB participated in the program and completed a fellowship at the US Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service. Under the support of WCF fellowship, Dr. Dini Dinarti has visited Beltsville-Maryland, USA for a three months training in cacao biotechnology. She studied SSR and SNP markers analysis in cacao. She used the data for diversity analysis and clone identification of cacao. Graduate students (S2 and S3), research staffs of Estate Crops Research Institutes in Bogor, and staffs of IPB who are interested in World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) activities and possible opportunities that can be developed through WCF are invited to attend the presentation. The presentation will be conducted on Monday, February 6-2012 at about 10.00 in the morning. It will be at ‘Ruang Sidang AGH’ – Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, IPB, Jl. Meranti – Darmaga Campus, Bogor.]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/02/visit_by_ms_virginia_sopyla_fe.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/02/visit_by_ms_virginia_sopyla_fe.php Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:20:23 -0500 Entry: Sona Ebai, Senior Technical Advisor for Policy and Governance, World Cocoa Foundation I think WCF/ACI is coming on stream at a great time to build on the success of the WCF Cocoa Livelihoods Program (WCF/CLP) and WCF/ECHOES program. Through these efforts, we are beginning to tackle a rural transformation process that is indispensable to the sustainability of the cocoa value chain. Food security has four dimensions: - Availability of food - Access to food - Safe and healthy utilization of food - Stability of food availability, access and utilization Increased farm productivity and efficiency, helping to raise the average of 450kg/Ha today to 1,000kg/Ha would obviously release additional land for food production. Diversification will increase the income and nutritional basket for the farm family while increased direct income from cocoa would increase physical and economic access to food and many other social amenities. So it is quite easy to demonstrate that cocoa, in the sub-region is key to overall rural transformation because of its impact on land and water use, environmental stewardship, food supply and economic access to food as it generates close to 8 billion dollars of revenue for the West Africa region annually. WCF/ACI will certify improved cocoa planting material to enable producing countries to raise their output. Creating public-private partnerships will help to introduce favorable policies and to ensure appropriate technology and innovations get to the farmers using market driven systems. The strongest support will even come from the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) - Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) which is enabling African countries to target their respective agricultural sectors, set priorities and investment plans by committing at least 10% of their national budgets to agriculture and achieve a 6% sector growth by 2015. This is a concrete attempt at achieving the Millennium Development Goal of reducing poverty and hunger by 50%. It centers around the creation of public- private partnerships as a new concept for change that builds on a modern agriculturally-based model of development, allowing for countries to take the lead in addressing a policy gap after over 30 years of structural adjustment in these farm-based economies where agriculture was a low priority for public funding. WCF/ACI would therefore make a strong contribution as it leverages funds from the public and private sectors to support capacity building, technology and knowledge transfer, sustainable extension services, microfinance, transparency and governance rather than having international effort serving as role substitution for the governments as heretheto was the case. ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/01/wcf_african_cocoa_initiative_w.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/01/wcf_african_cocoa_initiative_w.php Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:39:04 -0500 Originally published on Impatient Optimists, blog of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. My job is to learn about global health and development—and to travel to poor countries to meet farmers who can’t grow enough food, mothers who can’t keep children healthy, and heroes in the field who are doing something about those emergencies. Very few people can devote the time to really understand these complex problems. Even fewer can actually meet the people who are struggling to overcome them. That is why I write an annual letter every year. I want people to know about the amazing progress we’ve made. I also want them to see how much more progress it will take before we live in a truly equitable world. In this year’s letter, I focus on food and agriculture (though I also provide updates about all the global health and U.S. education work we do). When I was in high school, a popular book called The Population Bomb painted a nightmarish vision of mass starvation on a planet that has outgrown its carrying capacity. That prediction was wrong, in large part because researchers developed much more productive seeds and other tools that helped poor farmers in many parts of the world multiply their yields. As a result, the percentage of people in extreme poverty has been cut in half in my lifetime. That’s the amazing progress part of the story, and not enough people know it. But there’s the progress-yet-to-come part, and people need to know that, too. There are still more than 1 billion people who live in extreme poverty. They are located primarily in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, and they live on the edge of starvation. There is an irony in this, because most of them are farmers. We can help these 1 billion achieve self-sufficiency, just like we helped billions before them, but we stopped trying. At a certain point, the sense of crisis around food dissipated, and the proportion of foreign aid dedicated to agriculture dropped from one-fifth to less than one-twentieth. My hope for my annual letter is that it helps people connect to the choice we all have to make. Relatively small investments changed the future for hundreds of millions of small farm families. The choice now is this: Do we continue those investments so that the 1 billion people who remain poor benefit? Or do we tolerate a world in which one in seven people is undernourished, stunted, and in danger of starving to death? In times of tight budgets, we have to pick our priorities. It’s clear that in this particular time, we’re in danger of deciding that aid to the poorest is not one of them. I am confident, however, that if people understand what their aid has already accomplished—and its potential to accomplish so much more—they’ll insist on doing more, not less. That is why I wrote my letter. I hope you’ll take the time to read it and share it with your friends and family. I’ve invited students from around the world to write their own annual letters too. You can send your letter, or any questions you have for me, to annualletter@gatesfoundation.org. I'll be answering and talking about the ideas in your letters in a live webcast on February 2 on my Facebook page. ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/01/my_2012_annual_letter_bill_gat.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/01/my_2012_annual_letter_bill_gat.php Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:21:15 -0500 Entry: Marisa Yoneyama, World Cocoa Foundation As we approach Valentine’s Day, a holiday traditionally tied to the gift of chocolate, let’s think about where cocoa comes from and how it travels on its complex journey from farms to consumers. Globally, there are over five million independent cocoa farmers in Africa, the Americas, and Southeast Asia. Farmers grow cocoa trees on small farms in hot, rainy environments, mostly in areas near the equator. Cocoa is a delicate and sensitive crop, and farmers must look after the trees, making sure the trees are protected from the wind and sun. Most cocoa trees begin to bear fruit in the fifth year. In the U.S. alone, over 68,000 jobs are directly involved in the manufacture of confectionery and chocolate products. When the distribution and sale of these products is taken into consideration, the employment effect triples. Challenges in the agriculture sector such as the worst child labor abuses, climate change, and farmer productivity need a variety of committed stakeholders who empower farmers and build up communities. This means bringing together farmer organizations, industry, governments, academia, consumers, media, and non-governmental organizations to work together. There is no single, simple solution to address the wide range of challenges and issues in this complex chain. The media and other advocacy groups play an important role in bringing to light the challenges in the cocoa sector in social and environmental areas. We recognize the need and the benefit of supporting access to education and training. In rural areas where schools do not exist, we work toward creating partnerships that will see those schools built and run effectively. In remote communities were farmers are using traditional, perhaps outdated, methods of farming that produce low yields, we create partnerships that train farmers with new methods of caring for their farms, provide them with improved planting material, and make educational opportunities available so they can be effective in the marketplace. Our hope is that educated children will grow into responsible adults who will continue to drive positive change and growth in their communities. And our hope is that adults will lift up their communities through their successes and be empowered to support their children to do the same. We believe that child labor is usually a symptom of wider problems, including poverty. WCF programs expand educational opportunities for youth, provide basic literacy training, agricultural knowledge, leadership skills, and vocational education. We believe helping the entire farm family will improve conditions for the children. Through our training programs, we educate adult farmers, youth and children about appropriate and inappropriate activities for children helping on the family farm. To provide context for impact and results through these programs, to date, WCF has reached over 480,000 cocoa farmers worldwide through training and education, and we have reached over 380,000 students through direct literacy and agricultural training as well as training of teachers and administrators. As of last year, farmers who completed WCF training programs reported a 75% increase in yields in Ghana and a 70% increase in yields in Côte d’Ivoire, over the year prior. There has been much progress made and successes we have witnessed through our programs. There have also been challenges along the way and many lessons that we have learned. There is a long road ahead of us – we don’t kid ourselves by thinking that a single solution or entity can solve the issues of over five million independent cocoa farmers around the world. We are on the ground in these communities and can see for ourselves what issues farmers and their families face – and how we can help. We encourage you to visit the WCF website to learn more about cocoa and how you can get involved. ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/01/learning_through_cocoa.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2012/01/learning_through_cocoa.php Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:11:39 -0500