Member Spotlight
The five principles that shape Mars Incorporated, quality, responsibility, mutuality, efficiency and freedom, led Mars to become a leader in efforts to ensure the long-term sustainability of cocoa. While there were many earlier attempts to address issues facing cocoa, Mars was a leader in putting together the First International Workshop on Sustainable Cocoa growing, held in Panama in 1998 under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution. The consensus reached in Panama was that cocoa grown within a biologically diverse and environmentally sustainable agricultural system is capable of providing long-term economic, social and environmental benefits to the millions of small farmers who cultivate cocoa. Mars has been at the forefront of plant breeding research and pest and disease control systems and has also worked with other industry leaders to develop programs that seek to enhance the overall standard of living of rural cocoa farming families. "Education and information programs funded through the World Cocoa Foundation are allowing cocoa farmers to receive a greater portion of the world price," says Roger Dehnel, Mars's representative on the WCF Executive Committee. He adds, "We are proud of our part in improving the lives of cocoa farming families through research, training and organization."
Latin America
The World Cocoa Foundation welcomes its two newest Members, the Machu Picchu Coffee Trading Company of Peru and Anecacao, the Cocoa Exporters' Association of Ecuador. Anecacao joins NCA, CMA and CAOBISCO as a Trade Association Member of WCF and the Machu Picchu Coffee Trading Company joins as an Associate Member.
Southeast Asia
The SUCCESS Alliance program continues to train thousands of cocoa farmers in Sulawesi and Bali, Indonesia, Papua and the Philippines on methods to effectively control the Cocoa Pod Borer pest through cultural methods aimed at cutting the life cycle of the pest. A study tour of cocoa farmers, extension agents and government officials from the SUCCESS program in the Philippines visited its SUCCESS Alliance counterpart in Indonesia in May to facilitate knowledge sharing between smallholder farmers in Indonesia and the Philippines. In Sulawesi the Training Coordinators are meeting with Alumni groups to determine how farmers are continuing to use the Farmer Field School Training.
West Africa
Winrock International's latest newsletter and website highlight the CIRCLE and CLASSE projects in West Africa which are designed to help combat child labor and promote educational alternatives for children. The World Cocoa Foundation's support for the CLASSE project in Mali and the Ivory Coast, which benefits 1200 children and their families, is highlighted. Click here to view Winrock's newsletter for more information.
The Sustainable Tree Crops Program held a Master Trainer Workshop in Ghana in mid-June. Trainers from Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Ghana, as well as B.K. Matlick representing the World Cocoa Foundation, attended the weeklong event. The workshop included a discussion of methods to encourage farmer graduates to transfer their knowledge to other farmers. A prerequisite for selecting farmers to attend the workshops is that they be willing to pass on the information they have learned in the field schools. One hundred seventeen Farmer Field Schools training 3000 farmers were held the first five months of 2004.
Bill Guyton and Susan Smith spoke with about 75 6th grade students from the Eaton Elementary School in Washington, DC last month. The students had been studying the use of child labor in cocoa growing in West Africa. In a follow up to the lively two-hour session with students and teachers, a teacher representative from the school commented that WCF was "quite convincing."
EfDI active in STCP and inauguration of Tonikoko Farmers Union
WCF's April newsletter failed to mention the role of Enterprise for Development International (EfDI) in the inauguration of the Tonikoko Farmers Union in Nigeria. EfDI is one of the major implementing partners in the STCP in Nigeria and facilitated the establishment of the Farmers Union with support from USAID and the World Cocoa Foundation. The Tonikoko Farmers Union was first inaugurated in 2001 with the assistance of EfDI and STCP.
Good news for the new, CFC/ICCO/IPGRI project entitled "Cocoa Productivity and Quality Improvement, a Participatory Approach". The second phase of the project has been approved guaranteeing the full implementation of the $10 million, five-year project. The project will benefit applied research in Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Trinidad, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Brazil, PNG, and Malaysia. The World Cocoa Foundation, IPGRI, trade associations, chocolate companies, USDA, CIRAD national research institutes, and others are the main partners in this effort to improve cocoa productivity and quality of cocoa.
Ivorian farmers express support for STCP training.
In late June the World Cocoa Foundation and the US chocolate industry were very pleased to host a delegation from the Ivory Coast headed by Madame Acquah. Others in the delegation included Guy M'Bengue and Gerard Amangoua from APEX-CI. We were also pleased to meet the Ivory Coast's new Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Diabate. Sona Ebai from the Cocoa Producer's Alliance also met with WCF and the Ivorian delegation.
West African governments, the chocolate industry, International Labor Organization and other partners are working to develop a child labor certification system that will be operational by July 2005.
On May 26-28, 2004 the Cote d'Ivoire government organized and hosted a "Séminaire international sur la certification du cacao de Côte d'Ivoire" in Grand Bassam. More than 200 delegates from the reconciliation government, local governments, cocoa organizations, cocoa farmers, NGOs, neighbouring cocoa producing countries, ILO/IPEC and other labor experts gathered for the event. The industry was represented by Alain Federicq, Nadia Sood, Sue d'Arcy, Bill Guyton and in-country company representatives. Discussions led to the development of a taskforce and action plan for testing the system on a pilot basis over the next few months.
Research Update
For the June update on USDA cocoa related research, please visit the WCF Website here.
Smilja Lambert of Masterfoods Australia/New Zealand, visited USDA in Beltville, Maryland on June 23, 2004 to give a presentation on "Cocoa Pod Borer: Past and present issues and search for solutions".