WCF Partners with Winrock for Vocational Education
The World Cocoa Foundation has signed an agreement with Winrock, a non-governmental development organization, to support vocational education in schools in the cocoa-growing regions of the Ivory Coast. The project, originally funded by the US Department of Labor and endorsed by the government of Cote d'Ivoire, will reach 1200 children ages 12-16. Thank you to WCF supporters Hershey Foods Corporation, Masterfoods USA, a division of Mars, Inc., Nestle USA, the National Confectioners Association, the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, Nidar, Tom's Confectionery, World's Finest Chocolate and the Cocoa Merchants of America, who have made contributions, in addition to the WCF contribution. A 2001 survey by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture revealed a lack of educational opportunities for children in West Africa's cocoa growing regions. For more information on the project or to make a contribution, you can visit Winrock's CLASSE project web site or contact Bill Guyton.
WCF Launches New Website
The World Cocoa Foundation web site (www.WorldCocoaFoundation.org) has a new look. The site was redesigned to allow easier navigation for visitors. Please take a look and let us know if there is anything else you would like to see on the site.
WCF Featured at Environmental Film Festival
The World Cocoa Foundation was featured at the annual Environmental Film Festival held at the Smithsonian's Arboretum in Washington, DC on March 24. Bill Guyton introduced the two films shown, "The Story of Chocolate" and "Restoring Hope for Sulawesi Farmers" and took questions from the audience. Attendees sampled chocolates generously donated by Guittard, Masterfoods and Hershey Foods Corporation.
WCF Partnership Meeting April 21-22
Last chance to register for the World Cocoa Foundation's Partnership Meeting April 21-22 in Brussels. The primary purpose is to discuss the Foundation's regional programs in West Africa, Latin America and Asian as well as cocoa research. Contact Robert Peck for additional information.
Hans Rysgaard Speech to ICCO
World Cocoa Foundation Board member Hans Rysgaard, spoke to the ICCO Consultative Board on the World Cocoa Economy in March. Hans highlighted the work of the World Cocoa Foundation in promoting sustainable cocoa growing in his presentation.
2004 Hunger Report Available
Thanks to Masterfoods and Hershey Foods Corporation, the World Cocoa Foundation and its farmer outreach programs are featured in the Bread for the World Institute's 2004 hunger report "Are we on Track to End Hunger?" For a copy of the report, please contact Robert Peck.
Research Update
Click here for the latest update on collaborative cocoa research efforts between WCF and USDA. Future reports will include news items from the worldwide cocoa industry.
West Africa
The radio-messaging program on child labor and the importance of education has been expanded to reach a broader geographic area of Western Ghana. About 150,000 Ghanaians living in cocoa growing areas listen to the radio broadcasts. Distribution of hand-cranked radios is beginning this month.
New Nigerian Farmers Union
The Sustainable Tree Crops Program, The Ondo State Agricultural Development Project and the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria formally inaugurated the Tonikoko Farmers Union in Ondo State, Nigeria in late May. STCP's Farmer Field Schools have been catalysts in helping Nigerian farmers establish cooperatives while learning governance and advocacy and cooperative management skills. The Tonikoko Farmers Union, first established in 2001, has grown from 221 to more than 2000 farmer members. The Union's goals are to help farmers improve their incomes from cocoa farming by developing improved market information systems while working with the ILO to promote socially responsible cocoa growing.
Asia
SUCCESS Alliance continues its farmer training programs in Sulawesi, Bali and Papua New Guinea. Nearly 5000 cocoa farmers in Sulawesi are using participatory training methods to learn and understand the life cycle of the Cocoa Pod Borer and how to effectively control it. The SUCCESS Alliance staff met with the World Bank and Masterfoods in March to discuss the field school training and farmer organization activity.
Maggie Myers of ACDI/VOCA will speak at PMCA in late April on the SUCCESS Alliance program in Southeast Asia. The SUCCESS program has been a model farmer-training program and learnings from this program have been used in West Africa and Latin America. Maggie will highlight the benefits of private public partnerships that have been brought about by the SUCCESS program.
Latin America
The WCF's Robert Peck will travel to Ecuador in late April to attend a coordination meeting on the cocoa projects in Ecuador. While there he also will attend the 3rd annual workshop on Endophytes and the first Frosty Pod workshop which will take place at the Pichilingue Tropical Experiment Station. BK Matlick and Bob Lumsden, WCF consultants, also will attend.
Cocoa Study
BK Matlick, WCF staff consultant, participated in a discovery survey of current sustainable cocoa in the Andean region commissioned by the WCF and USAID in early April. This study will be a principal instrument in determining the future direction of the WCF/USAID Andean Region cocoa alliance. The study includes the countries of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The final report will be available at the end of May and will include the level of current and future cocoa development, status of technology in each country and suggestions for continued Alliance relationships.