http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/ en Copyright 2009 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:52:20 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Entry: Bill Guyton Please see below an article written by Lukong Pius Nyuylime of All Africa Press. World Cocoa Foundation is pleased to be a major funder of the Sustainable Tree Crops Program (STCP) in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development. I had the opportunity to visit some of the farmer field schools in Cameroon a couple of years ago (please see my earlier blogs). The program in Cameroon, under Jonas Mva Mva's leadership, has been progressing well. We commend the Government of Cameroon for support of sustainble cocoa in the country. Cameroon: Farmers Trained on Cocoa Cultivation Practices Lukong Pius Nyuylime 29 June 2009 The 38 agricultural Extension Workers were trained recently in the Centre Region by IITA experts. Against the backdrop of growing concern over low supply of young cocoa plants compared to increasing demand, experts of the Sustainable Tree Crop Program (STCP) of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) recently provided new skills to farmers in the Centre Region for the cultivation of cocoa in order to increase yield and farmers' income. Drawn from seven cooperatives and other agricultural associations as well as the administration, the farmers received lessons on basic techniques of intensifying cocoa farms through the Farmer Learning Group Approach conceived within the framework of the STCP. The concept of cocoa intensification according to one of the experts, Richard Asare, an expert in tree diversification from IITA, Ghana, involves basically training farmers to apply best agricultural practices, notably rational use of fertilizer, pesticide, insecticides, planting of hybrid cocoa material, tree diversification, etc in cocoa cultivation for economic and environmental sustainability. The Farmer Learning Group is a structured group base approach designed to teach farmers specific skills and practices on planting, replanting and diversification in cocoa establishment using demonstrations, field observations, field exercises and discussions as key training and learning tools. "Farmers need to be made more professional so as to raise their level of income and at the same time maintain and sustain the ecosystem on which their activities depend", Jonas Mva Mva, Country Manager for STCP-Cameroon said during the training. "Seed production and multiplication farms are able to supply only 30 per cent of the young cocoa plants demanded by farmers for planting", Emerant Evenga, Agriculture Extension Worker and Deputy Communication Officer for the country's Ministry of Agriculture said, stating that annual demand for young cocoa plants is presently estimated at 80 million. "Since supply cannot meet demand, it is important to train farmers on how to improve yields from existing farms", he said underscoring that one of the most important ways is to rationalize the use of fertilizer and pesticides. Poor use of these products is partly responsible for low production, Evenga said. A hectare of land in Cameroon today produces between 200 and 500 kilograms of beans which is far below standard production of between 700 kilograms and 1.5 tons a hectare.]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/06/cameroon_farmers_trained_on_co.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/06/cameroon_farmers_trained_on_co.php Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:52:20 -0500 Entry by David Noyes Greetings! My name is David Noyes and I am just starting here at the World Cocoa Foundation as the new Education Intern, working with Charlie Feezel on the ECHOES program. I recently returned to the US after working for two years in Burkina Faso as a secondary education Peace Corps volunteer. In Burkina, I taught math, physics, and chemistry at one of the largest public high schools in the country. While there I did a lot of work on introducing technology-based teaching methods at my school. We did this through the construction of an Internet café at the school, the installation of a video projector in a teaching laboratory, and teacher training on how to find resources online and how to use the relevant software to incorporate these resources into lessons in the classroom. This allowed teachers to show things such as animations of blood flow through the heart and simulations of physics and chemistry experiments when previously their only teaching resources were chalk and a chalkboard. Working at the World Cocoa Foundation with the ECHOES program is a very exciting opportunity as it gives me the chance to work on a project that seeks to improve the quality and relevance of education in rural West Africa. As a teacher in West Africa, I often saw my students struggle with lessons that seemed far removed from anything they encountered in their day-to-day lives. Students were often left with the impression that math and science was something you learned about at school, but that had little relevance outside the classroom. The ECHOES program addresses these kinds of issues by helping to make education more relevant and applicable to the lives of youth in their communities. I am already very impressed by the great work that World Cocoa Foundation and its partners are doing, which I got a great introduction to while helping out at the recent partnership meeting. I look forward to making my own contribution while working on ECHOES! ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/06/echoes_new_intern.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/06/echoes_new_intern.php Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:59:03 -0500 Entry: Bill Guyton I wanted to share an article written by reporter Olukayode Oyeleye (see below). We at the World Cocoa Foundation congratulate our colleagues in Ondo and Cross River States for their interest and on-going support of farmer field schools. Through programs like STCP (co-funded by USAID and World Cocao Foundation members) and the Cocoa Livelihoods Program (co-funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 11 leading chocolate companies), we are helping thousands of cocoa farmers in Nigeria improve yields, incomes and marketing practices. These and other efforts have received the active support of local government and community groups in the cocoa growing areas of Nigeria. Beyond Field School, Cocoa Farmers Now Have More Money For Higher Values By Olukayode Oyeleye The penultimate Friday meeting of the national steering committee of the Sustainable Tree Crop Programme (STCP), held in Akure, threw up a number of things that need to engage the minds of all that are serious about transforming agriculture in Nigeria in general and cocoa business in particular. Following Akin Oluwalade's presentation, it became clear that the Farmers' Field School that started, according to Mr. Ejide Aladesaiye, "like a child's play," and "has been adopted by Ondo State as an extension methodology," has now become a bride of the federal government. Oluwalade told participants at the meeting that "an expansion of the scheme is being proposed by the federal Ministry of Agriculture." At the meeting, where the third year's semi-annual progress report was given, covering the period between last year's October and March this year, Oluwalade recalled the efforts of STCP-Nigeria to promote the uptake of the community-based nursery scheme by individuals, farmers' groups and communities. He said "about 66,000 seedlings are being raised. "We are trying to measure the impact of the FFS in Ondo and Cross River states, Oluwalade stated. Many other key issues came out of the report. One of them was the study visit conducted by some members of the steering committee to Edo, Abia and Cross River states earlier in the year to observe the nurseries initiatives and how far and well they have fared. Another was the three-day training workshop on monitoring and evaluation system, organised by STCP-Nigeria in collaboration with the National Cocoa Development Committee (NCDC) for cocoa desk officers and managers of Agricultural Development Programmes from the 14 cocoa-producing states of the country. It was described as a step towards consolidating the integration of the FFS into the national extension delivery system. The support given to three cooperatives in the collective trading efforts during the last training campaign ending in February also came under focus. One of them, the Itunta High Quality Cocoa Farmers' Multipurpose Cooperative Society (IFMCS) was said to have carried out its first collective trading activity within the period. Cyril Ugwu of SOCODEVI, a partner NGO working alongside STCP, disclosed that within the period under review, SOCODEVI and STCP facilitated the establishment of two cocoa quality testing laboratories for CRACCU and Ife Cooperative Produce Marketing Union (ICPMU)as means of assisting them have quality specification for their produce before sales. In Ugwu's findings, "small holders, individually, don't have bargaining power, but they could (trade better) under cooperatives where they aggregate their produce and sell." He also observed, rather sadly, that many cooperative members are ageing and would soon be out of the way. For instance, he disclosed that, during their foray into Ife cooperatives to find out how to assist them, "average membership of Ife cooperative was 60 years," predicting that, without addition of young members, "the cooperative would be dead in 10 years." He also observed that their average annual production was going down by 40 per cent, asking "what happens to them in few years' time?" STCP's Country Manager, Dr. Chris Okafor, hinted that the World Cocoa Foundation and leading chocolate industry companies, in partnership with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced a $40 million development programme to focus on improving the livelihooods of cocoa farmers in five countries in West Africa, namely: Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Liberia. He disclosed that the programme, which is officially known as the Cocoa Livelihood Program (CLP) has commenced operations with preliminary activities such as planning meetings at the country and regional levels, and site selection. According to Okafor, CLP is has five technical partners that "are required to work closely together as a team in the implementation of the programme activities." A leading cocoa farmer, David Onyenweaku, attested to a yield difference he has recorded through adoption of the skills he gathered through trainings he had received, particularly with the discretion in the use of chemicals. Henry Adesioye, a processor, lamented that majority of farmers still hold to old ways of doing things despite the trainings they have received from STCP. He said quality of cocoa still has much to be improved upon, saying without quality, the issue of asking for premium over cocoa beans does not arise. Sam Odoemelam, general manager of Cocoa Development Unit, Abia State, blamed the quality problem on those who give farmers cash in anticipation of purchase of produce later. The arrangement, according to him, has forced farmers' hands into compromising quality in attempts to deliver on promises. Robo Adhuze of the Cocoa Association of Nigeria observed that STCP is constrained by funds, limiting its publicity reach, a view also corroborated by Aladesaiye, the programme manager of the Ondo State Agricultural Development Programme. Aladesaiye said he would want steps to be taken to improve on publicity, and would particularly want to see sources open for the funding of such activities. ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/06/cocoa_farmers_in_nigeria.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/06/cocoa_farmers_in_nigeria.php Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:33:05 -0500 Entry by Rhodina B. Cena and Muhammad Junaid Last April 27-29, 2009, together with Tracey Duffey, Rhodina B. Cena and Muhammad Junaid participated in the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Confectioners’ Association 63rd Annual Production Conference at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. During the conference, we were able to meet several member companies, including confectionery manufacturers, suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and industry service organizations worldwide. The conference also featured a comprehensive half-day supplier exhibition from manufacturers and suppliers from different countries. The PMCA also organized a Student Outreach Program (SOP) led by committee chair, Barry Glazier where each student was assigned with a conference mentor. Rhodina’s mentor was Steve Genzoli of Ghirardelli Chocolate Company while Muhammad’s mentor was Judy Cooley of Hershey Company. We were much honored this year because the number of students has grown from 10 to 28 students representing 12 Domestic Universities and 2 International Universities (Rhodina B. Cena from the University of Southern Mindanao, Philippines and Muhammad Junaid from the University of Hassanudin, Indonesia). We also joined the exciting tour at the Warrell Corporation in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania where a lecture was given prior to visiting the plant. A farewell get together party was also organized by the SOP committee to give us chance to say good-bye to one another and for us to say thank you for our participation. We also visited the Hershey Story Museum where we learned more about the man behind the chocolate bar and saw the exciting interactive exhibits and hands-on activities. Before Rhodina returned to Tifton, Georgia, the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) organized a visit to USDA-ARS Beltsville, Maryland. Rhodina and Muhammad made a presentation about their work in their home country to the USDA-ARS Beltsville Scientists and USDA Borlaug Staff. Afterwards, we went on a tour of the different laboratories. Rhodina also had the chance to meet and interact with Dr. Fernando Vega, an entomologist and other scientists involved in Muhammad Junaid's fellowship training. Finally, on May 5, we made our final presentation concerning our fellowship training at the USDA in Washington D.C.. The Norman Borlaug Office and the USDA staff, Tracey Duffey as the World Cocao Foundation Program Director for Southeast Asia and Africa, the Agricultural Attaché and Offy Ismojo from the Embassy of Indonesia were there to listen. They were very happy about our accomplishments so far and subsequently, awarding of certificates was given by Marianne McElroy. We concluded this day with a radio interview with Susan Carter that was broadcasted on the USDA radio station. ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/06/2009_cocoa_borlaug_fellows_attend_pennsylvania_manufacturing_confectioners_association_63rd_annual_production_conference.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/06/2009_cocoa_borlaug_fellows_attend_pennsylvania_manufacturing_confectioners_association_63rd_annual_production_conference.php Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:20:42 -0500 Entry by Charlie Feezel These two posters are used by ECHOES partners in Ghana to train entrepreneurship trainers. The graduate trainers use the images to help community members to understand the cocoa value chain and chart commercial cocoa activities closer to home. In discussions of the events and the flow of goods the learners develop a deeper understanding of their business cycle and constraints and opportunities that impact their success. The entrepreneur can then create a more wholesome enterprise. Click on the following links to download the posters as well as the training facilitator’s guide. ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/06/echoes_entrepreneurship_traini.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/06/echoes_entrepreneurship_traini.php Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:48:41 -0500 World Cocoa Foundation ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/06/honoring_world_food_prize_2009.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/06/honoring_world_food_prize_2009.php Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:08:29 -0500 Entry: Chelsea Coffin This spring, I have had the opportunity to intern at the World Cocoa Foundation with the Empowering Cocoa Households with Opportunities and Education Solutions Alliance (ECHOES), which seeks to broaden possibilities for youth in the cocoa-growing areas of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. ECHOES is a public-private partnership, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and World Cocoa Foundation industry members. My initial interest in ECHOES lay in the prospect of an educational model that makes sense in a community driven by agriculture, and over the past 5 months, I have been able to see how that model is operationalized. Previously, as a Peace Corps volunteer teaching in a Mozambican secondary school, I witnessed some of the ubiquitous challenges to formal education that are presented by a rural environment. Some children were unable to attend school due to budget constraints. Many enrolled students were unmotivated to learn in the formal classroom. Most graduates lacked relevant skills to be an effective member of their local economy. Although Mozambique doesn’t produce any cocoa, its educational system suffers from a similar disconnect between engaging classrooms, relevant curricula, and local possibilities. Unfortunately, the gaps between the purpose and execution of formal education extend beyond Mozambique, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire, which makes ECHOES exciting to me as a new possibility for education in the developing world. ECHOES works within and alongside the school system to combat some of the most pressing issues in the quality and content of formal education. Teacher trainings and technology-equipped resource centers enhance the basic education experience while classes in agriculture and entrepreneurship give youths tools for their future and motivation to learn. Children are not the only beneficiaries, as adults can take functional literacy classes or receive grants to send their children to school and invest in a business. In these ways and others, ECHOES supports and supplements the current delivery of knowledge, which enables people in rural communities to take advantage of their personal and local resources. This year, as a graduate student studying international development, I was in need of some quality and relevant experience myself. World Cocoa Foundation's ECHOES program has given me a solid example of a framework that expands choices and options, which too often define poverty, through empowerment and education. http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/06/impressions_from_world_cocoa_f.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/06/impressions_from_world_cocoa_f.php Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:57:59 -0500 Entry by: Kate, Rebecca, and Janell We are three Sustainable Agriculture Peace Corps Volunteers, working in the province of Bocas del Toro, Panamá. We have been working on a province-wide cocoa farm management project, within a larger cocoa project spanning Central America, training small producers on farm and production improvement techniques. The goal of the project is to train local promoters and farmers in new technical strategies and teaching techniques, in order to increase production, while protecting local ecosystems and biodiversity. The promoters participate in ongoing trainings to continually improve their skills and methods of teaching and motivating farmers. They then transfer the technical knowledge to farmers by facilitating farmer field schools. We live in our respective communities over a two-year period and work alongside local promoters. Although we are still in the beginning of implementing this new teaching methodology, we are already seeing its effectiveness in empowering farmers. These new methods of teaching and facilitating appear to reach a wider demographic, motivating youth and women that would not normally participate actively. In general, in the communities in which we work, men maintain and make decisions regarding their family cocoa farms. Women and youth traditionally only participate in the harvesting and the post harvest processing of the cocoa. Through these farmer field schools, we are seeing women and youth, alongside men, take interest in maintenance of the farms, including participating in pruning, planting, grafting, and farm planning. Indigenous Naso women and children preparing soil for planting of cocoa seeds Within each farmer field school, we are using games to involve the participants and keep the sessions lively and memorable The empowerment of small farmers encourages greater implementation of new technologies. From the planting of 1300 cocoa plants one week after the session on tree nurseries, to farmers’ visits to our homes to study grafting techniques in the evening, the changes that we are seeing in the motivation of the participants will affect the future of the families of our communities. ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/06/peace_corps_panama_farmer_fiel.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/06/peace_corps_panama_farmer_fiel.php Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:50:14 -0500 Entry: Bill Guyton Many of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) members and partners know about the important research Rebecca Ashley Asare has conducted on cocoa and agroforestry in West Africa. WCF is pleased to have supported her work in Ghana. Over the years, Rebecca has participated in several of our Partnership Meetings and taken countless field trips to work in close collaboration with African cocoa farmers. We are pleased to report that this week, Rebecca successfully defended her dissertation at Yale University. We congratulate Rebecca for this great achievement and thank her again for her important and on-going contributions to sustainable cocoa. Below is an abstract of her dissertation. ABSTRACT Cocoa Establishment and Shade Management in Ghana’s Ashanti Region: Understanding the Main Factors Driving Farmer’s Decision Processes and Practices Rebecca Ashley Asare 2009 Ghana is the world’s second largest producer of cocoa beans and cocoa agroforests dominate the country’s humid forest landscape. For more than a century, the cocoa industry has supported smallholder livelihoods and helped to fuel the national economy. In recent years, cocoa agroforestry systems have received considerable attention for their contributions to biodiversity conservation. In West Africa, this research has primarily focused on the diversity of forest tree species, and the economic and social value of cocoa agroforests. However, little research has focused on identifying and understanding the social factors and processes that have not only created, but are responsible for maintaining these systems. Therefore, this research sought to identify and understand the main factors from biophysical, cultural, social, and economic realms driving farmer’s decision processes and practices as they establish and manage young cocoa farms in southern districts of the Ashanti Region. Specifically, this entailed answering five key research questions, which are summarized as: 1) what are farmer’s current practices; 2) what are the main factors driving their decision making; 3) how do incentives and disincentives influence farmer’s selection of timber trees; 4) how do information sources and social variables affect knowledge about shade management; and 5) how does knowledge affect decision making? The research adopted a social-centric focus, but it integrated theories and methods from the disciplines of social ecology, agroforestry and forest ecology. Overall, the research demonstrates that within the study area, cocoa agroforestry represents a stable resource system that is oriented towards socially bound gainfulness. In creating new farms, farmers intensively clear the land and uniformly plant food crops as initial shade for cocoa seedlings. However, once food crops are harvested, farmers overwhelmingly choose shaded cocoa systems, and rely upon natural processes of forest succession to bring the majority of shade trees into their farms, which are then managed according to two slightly divergent strategies. Every farming practice was influenced by a combination of inter-related economic, ethnographic and environmental variables; no single factor influenced farming decisions in isolation. The main factors driving farmer’s decision processes include overcoming labor, capital, and socio-institutional constraint, finding the culturally appropriate and ecologically viable balance between sunlight and shade, integrating secondary products into the system, and subconsciously conforming to social patterns at the village or district scale. In selecting timber species, access to wood was the most important incentive as it transcended all of the disincentives associated with logging by private companies in cocoa farms. However, this pattern of decision making appears to rest upon the existence of de facto and not de jure user rights to on-farm timber. Finally, all of the farmers in the study relied upon local information sources; however a positive relationship emerged between higher levels of education, and extra-local sources like experts and the media. The content of farmer knowledge was correlated to villages, as well as information sources, age, and the nature of the information. Yet, knowledge rarely translated directly into practice as there was a very high degree of adaptation. Likewise, no social order variables demonstrated a link to farmer’s adoption decisions, although a farmer’s village did influence the degree to which farmers adapted. What this dissertation tries to articulate is that farmer’s decision processes are driven and informed by multiple factors, which reflect a desire to reap gains, but in reality demonstrate an effort to nurture productivity, in multiple forms, out of a complex and sometimes unpredictable bio-social farming environment that present farmers with numerous constraints. In establishing cocoa, farmers rely upon the stability that comes from conformity, but as decision making becomes more complex farmers are flexible and adaptive, which result in wide ranging patterns of variation in shade management practices.]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/05/congratulations_to_rebecca_ash_1.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/05/congratulations_to_rebecca_ash_1.php Wed, 27 May 2009 11:58:10 -0500 Entry: Holly Houston, Clementine Leahy As a part of their 8-week research program with the USDA, Cocoa Borlaug fellows, scientists Rhodina Cena from the Philippines, and Muhammad Junaid from Indonesia, joined WCF staff members on a tour of several WCF member companies, major participants of the cocoa supply chain. Our first stop on this journey was in Hershey, PA, at The Hershey Company's headquarter. The team met with research & development and community relations staff to discuss industry standards for cocoa quality and what research is being done to improve crop quality in Indonesia and the Philippines. The importance of product sustainability at the consumer level was discussed in addition to crop sustainability at the farm level. It was very informative for the fellows to see the perspective of the importers and sellers of chocolate and how bean quality directly impacts production. Later on, we met with The Blommer Chocolate Company staff who provided a thorough tasting of chocolate liquors from beans of various origins, including Cote d’Ivoire, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Trinidad, but also fermented and non-fermented beans. In order to illustate the presentation, beans from various origins and cocoa butter were displayed on the table. There was a clear taste differential among the liquors from different origins. The next day, hosted by Barry Callebaut, another large processor, we were presented an informative overview of the manufacturing process from the bean to various by-products of cocoa, followed by an extensive tour of the factory. From chocolate manufacturing to processing, we went one step up the supply chain to learn about warehousing. The next stop on the tour was the Camden International Commodities Terminal whose staff arranged for us to visit several large warehouses where cocoa bean bags are stored, inspected, and shipped to buyers. In addition to seeing the various bean shapes, colors, and bagging details, we learned about fumigation, quality inspection and distrubution. We would like to sincerely thank our member companies for providing an excellent overview of the various aspects of chocolate production. For our fellows who previously have only known the farm and research level, this tour offered a more complete picture of what issues are important to ensure sustainability across the supply chain. ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/05/borlaug_fellows_and_wcf_tour_c_1.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/05/borlaug_fellows_and_wcf_tour_c_1.php Tue, 12 May 2009 12:55:33 -0500 Entry: Muhammad Junaid My name is Muhammad Junaid but my friends like to call me Jun. I come from Hasanuddin University (UNHAS, the Departement of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture) under the Educational Ministry of Indonesia, located in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Since I was selected as a fellow for the Norman E. Borlaug Fellowship Program, sponsored by the World Cocoa Foundation and the USDA in August 2008, I started dreaming about flying to the US for the first time. On March 25, 2009, I departed from the Sultan Hasanuddin Airport in South Sulawesi and transited via Jakarta and Singapore before I finally arrived at night in Dulles Airport on March 26, 2009. For the first time, I met with my mentor, Dr. Gary J. Samuels, who came to pick me up at the airport, after a few months of intense communication through email. He is a fungus taxonomist in the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) - Systematic Microbiology and Mycology Laboratory (SMML) - USDA. It has only been 3 weeks since my arrival, but I have already had many great experiences: During my first week, Gary introduced me to his staff, including Dr. Amy Rossman who is a leader in the SMML research. I also met a couple of foreign researchers from Panama, Korea, Japan and Brazil, with whom I enjoy sharing lunch and discussing about each other’s research progress. The aim of my research is to learn about molecular identification of DNA sequence and PCR tehnique Oncobasidium, and potential fungal to use in bio-control.Below, you can see me working in Gary’s room to indentify fungus endophite from a cocoa tissue from Indonesia, which I was able to identify clearly with Gary’s microscope. On April 2, Gary and I were invited by the WCF to a “Chocolate from the Rainforest” reception that was held at the U.S. Botanic Garden. While there, I met with a lot people, including the Ambassador of Indonesia and his delegation. Although I was a bit nervous, it was a great honor for me to be recognized in front of them as a participant in the Cocoa Borlaug Fellows Program. During this month of April, Gary and I have been working extensively: During the first week, we had the pleasure to receive a visit from Catherine Chesnutt and Abiola Adeyemi, respectively the International Training Specialist and the International Affairs Specialist at FAS/USDA. While they were here at the SMML, we discussed my research activities and also visited the lab. It is my hope that this research will improve not only my skills but also benefit my home institution. Later, on April 18-19, I joined a plant pathology seminar in Beltsville where I was invited to speak and present my work. This seminar was attended by students from colleges from other states. Next on my agenda is the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Confectioners’ Association (PMCA) conference that will be held in Hershey, Pennsylvania from April 27-29, that I will attend together with Rhodina Cena, a Cocoa Borlaug Fellow from the Philippines. WCF has arranged to combine this trip with visits to chocolate manufacturers and processors which is going to be a very exciting and new experience for us. I am very grateful to have been chosen for this program which is giving me opportunities for the future.]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/04/my_first_weeks_at_barcbeltsvil.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/04/my_first_weeks_at_barcbeltsvil.php Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:07:41 -0500 Entry: Rhodina Cena I am Ms. Rhodina B. Cena from the University of Southern Mindanao (USM), Kabacan, North Cotabato, Philippines. In June 2008, I applied for the Norman E Borlaug Science and Technology Fellowship Program. And in July, 2008 I was awarded the fellowship. Arrangements were then made by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Services (FAS) in Manila, and the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), for me to go to the USDA-Agricultural Research Services (USDA-ARS)-Crop Protection and Management Research Unit (CPMRU) in Tifton, Georgia for training on artificial diet under the kind supervision of my Mentor, Dr. James E. Carpenter, an Entomologist. March 20, 2009, 10:00pm: My first international flight for 26 hrs was via Philippines Airline, US Airways and Delta Airline. The long flight was for me uneventful and sleepless. When I landed at Valdosta Airport (March 21, 9:10pm), I was greeted by a chilly spring evening. At the arrival area, Dr. Carpenter and his two lovely grand daughters approached me and we travel to Tifton for 1 hr to the house owned by Brandon and Jodie Jones where I was comfortably accommodated for eight week period of my fellowship. My weekend indeed offered the first few pleasant experience and less pleasant experiences: extremely cold weather, drastic changes in biological clock (Philippine time is 12 hours earlier than Georgia, USA); but yes, I leisurely went to the Wal-Mart Store to purchase some foodstuff (with Jodie) and a lunch with Jodie Jones family. The training program started on March 23, 2009, which was preceded by a brief orientation about the USDA-ARS and their research mission, and an introduction to the heads and staff of the CPRMU laboratory. During the second week of the fellowship, Dr. Carpenter and I visited the Biological Control Rearing Facility of the Department of Plant Industries in Gainesville, Florida. Their well-equipped laboratories were buzzing with anything that had to do with mass rearing of insects. Staffs were at hand to share a summary of their research. A few days later, we went to Petite Bois Island in Mississippi where we conducted a monitoring of Cactus Moth. On this trip I was privileged to meet another USDA-ARS entomologist and technical assistants. My opportunity to see these locations was in itself a unique experience. (left to right) Chris, John, Dr. Stephen Hight, me and Dr. Jim Carpenter (my mentor) during our field visit at Petite Bois Island, Mississippi.]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/04/my_first_hello_to_georgia_usa.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/04/my_first_hello_to_georgia_usa.php Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:30:44 -0500 Entry: Bill Guyton Today, the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and the Swedish Chocolate, Confectionery and Biscuit Manufacturers’ Association (CHOKOFA) announced a new occupational safety and health project. The 18-month project will focus on farmer training and development of innovative technologies in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. press release. Dr. Sonii David will lead the effort of developing training modules on occupational safety and health. She is an extension specialist working at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture/Sustainable Tree Crops Program (IITA/STCP). The modules will be used in conjunction with ongoing farmer field school programs to reinforce concepts during training sessions and serve as a reference guide for farm families. The farmer field school methodology is an interactive training approach that emphasizes learning-by-doing. The training modules and materials will be piloted in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana with an initial group of 930 farmers. By the conclusion of the project, the materials will be available for use by other programs and institutions in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. The materials will be readily adaptable for use in other countries. In addition to the farmer training activities, the project has a challenge grant component that provides funding for the development of innovations in the areas of farm safety, farm level innovations and health education materials. A total of two grants will be awarded to Ivorian research institutes, national universities or non-governmental organizations as part of the 2009 World Cocoa Foundation Challenge Grants Program. We at World Cocoa Foundation would like to extend our thanks to Håkan Björklund, Director General of the Swedish Chocolate, Confectionery and Biscuit Manufacturers’ Association for helping to support this important effort. We look forward to working with our colleauges in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire over the coming months. ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/04/wcf_partnering_with_chokofa_to.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/04/wcf_partnering_with_chokofa_to.php Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:13:45 -0500 Entry: Bill Guyton Today I read the article below, describing some of the recent actions taken by the Government of Ghana and partners to ensure that farming is grown safely and responsibly for cocoa growing communities in the Asutifi District of Brong Ahafo. While communities are sensitized about child labour in cocoa, farmers also have the opportunity to learn about other important information on cocoa farming, including controlling diseases and pests and post-harvest practices. More information can be found on the following website: www.childprotection.gov.gh World Cocoa Foundation supports several programs in West and Central Africa which directly work with cocoa farming communities including the Sustainable Tree Crops Program (STCP), ECHOES and FHI Health Program. COCOBOD organises workshop on child labour Dadiesoaba (B/A) April 7 GNA - The Quality Control Division of Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod) has held a sensitization workshop on the child labour law for cocoa farmers in some selected communities in Asutifi District of Brong Ahafo. The workshop, sponsored by Cocobod, was aimed at formulating plans and strategies that could help to eliminate child labour on cocoa farms. In an opening address, Mr. Peter Sekyim, Brong Ahafo Regional Manager of the Division, emphasised the need for children to be nurtured to become physically, mentally and intellectually sound. He called for the enforcement of existing laws to reduce or eliminate all forms of child labour on cocoa farms, as well as cultural practices proven to be detrimental to the well being of children. On their produce, Mr. Sekyim advised the farmers to allow their cocoa beans to ferment for at least six days before drying them to ensure their good quality. The Regional Manager advised them to use only recommended agro-chemicals like Confidor 200, Actara and Akate Master in the fight against the Capsid disease on cocoa. Mr. Bernard Brown, Goaso District manager of the Division, said the introduction of a new grading system to detect purple cocoa beans was to streamline the internal controls in the cocoa industry. Mr. Francis Forfoe, district welfare officer, underscored the promotion of widespread acceptance and observance of the convention on the rights of the child and enforcement of the Children's Act of 1998. He advised parents to enroll their children in schools to enable them to become responsible citizens in future.]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/04/government_of_ghana_and_partne_1.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/04/government_of_ghana_and_partne_1.php Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:05:44 -0500 Holly Houston and Catherine Alston, are excited to have recently joined the World Cocoa Foundation as part of the new Cocoa Livelihoods Program which Bill detailed in his February 19th entry. The multi-faceted program is steadily ramping up in West and Central Africa and we are thrilled to be a part of this effort that promises to have great impact on cocoa farming dependent communities. The picturesque US Botanic Garden here in Washington, DC hosted our “Chocolate from the Rainforest” event last Thursday night. There was a great turn-out of attendees including H.E. Ambassador Koffi of Cote d’Ivoire, H.E. Ambassador Parnohadiningrat of Indonesia, H.E. Ambassador Gaa of the Philippines, and supporters from the Department of State, USAID, and USDA / ARS. Cocoa industry leaders were also in attendance as well as WCF partner organizations; we are grateful for their continued support and interest. Holly Shimizu, Executive Director of the US Botanic Garden, kicked off the evening highlighting the new cocoa displays at the Garden, including the informative “New Age of Chocolate” exhibit that details the latest scientific research on chocolate. Be sure to check it out on your next visit! Bill Guyton and Tracey Duffey welcomed the attendees, including one first-time visitor to Washington, DC – our newest Cocoa Borlaug fellow, Muhammad Junaid from Indonesia who has been in the US for a little over a week working with his mentor Gary Samuels from the USDA/ARS. We welcome Junaid and are excited to see the fruits of this partnership. Wanda Collins, Director of Plant Sciences at the USDA/ARS, emphasized the importance of sustainability for the cocoa farming industry – cocoa is a crucial element for numerous complimentary agricultural industries in the US and is the principal source of income for many developing countries’ citizens. Commitment and investment to scientific research, farmer capacity building, and supply chain improvements are necessary to the future of the industry. Such commitment was represented by Thursday night’s attendees and we are grateful for the continued support by industry, NGO, and government leaders. A chocolate event would not be complete of course without the enjoyment of consumption! A true aficionado of all things chocolate, Ed Seguine, Chocolate Research Fellow of Mars Chocolate North America, offered a wonderful tasting of dark chocolate from around the world – West Africa, Venezuela, Madagascar/Peru, Trinidad and the Philippines. The night concluded on a delicious note with a variety of flavors from nutty to floral – all beautifully described and skillfully guided by Mr. Seguine. ]]> http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/04/chocolate_from_the_rainforest_2.php http://blog.worldcocoafoundation.org/2009/04/chocolate_from_the_rainforest_2.php Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:56:15 -0500