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The
Confectionery Manufacturers Association of
Canada is one of
the oldest, most respected,
not-for-profit national trade associations representing
the
manufacturers and first importers of chocolate, sugar
confectionery, chewing gum, cough lozenge and
portable breath fresheners as well as their suppliers
in the industry. Association members
are located from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, to Victoria,
British Columbia,
literally from coast to coast and the industry employs
directly and indirectly over 70,000 Canadians both in
up
and downstream operations. Membership includes
local, regional, national and multi-national companies
incorporating the manufacturers, importers and
suppliers of equipment, ingredients, packaging
materials and other goods and services.
"The CMAC has had the privilege of working with the
World Cocoa Foundation on a number of fronts over
the past 6-years in
Africa, the United States, Europe and Canada. In the
process we have come to know of the extraordinary
depth and breadth of social, economic and
environmental programs the WCF has undertaken
with great effect in cocoa growing regions of the
world, " says CMAC President Mr. John
Rowsome, "Given our mutual commitment to benefit
cocoa
farmers, their families and the communities in which
they live, it is a natural progression for the association
representing Canadian confectionery to become a
member of the WCF and extend further our important
collaboration."
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"Thank God for STCP [the Sustainable Tree Crops
Program] that allowed me to get six large bags of
cocoa to sell for the first time since 1990," says
Farmer Field School (FFS) graduate
Mrs. Kartuah
Sehweah (pictured at right). The 68-year old widow
with eight children
and grandchildren uses the extra income to pay her
grandchildren's school fees.
Mrs. Sehweah lives in Nimba County, Liberia, an area
hard hit by the civil conflict during which many people
left their farms. Mrs. Sehweah was the only woman
out of 28 participants in her FFS session, but her male
colleagues looked up to her calling her a "giant in the
FFS." She was eager to learn and apply the new
techniques to her 3 acre farm. Reflecting on what she
learned she noted, " I did not know that the diseases
we see on the trees could be controlled." Mrs.
Sehweah was one of more than 350 farmers in Nimba
County to
complete 10 months of farmer training last year.
STCP is a public-private partnership with support from
African governments,
the US Agency for International Development, the
World Cocoa Foundation, and the chocolate industry.
The program
is managed by the International Institute of Tropical
Agriculture (IITA).
WCF thanks IITA for contributing this story. |
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"By applying what I learned at the Farmer Field School
[FFS], I increased my cocoa farm's productivity and
cocoa quality," says Mr. Esteban Campos Chavez, a
FFS graduate from San Martín, Peru with a 6 hectare
farm. "When I came from
Cajamarca to San Martín, I started my farm growing
annual crops such as maize and rice. My income was
not enough to cover my expenses. Extra income that
comes from cocoa sales allows me to pay for
education and food for my family. My goal is to expand
my cocoa farm by one hectare per year. I noted that my
plants produce close to 1000 kilograms per hectare
compared to 500 kilograms that I used to produce
before applying best agricultural practices [learned
through the FFS]."
Mr. Campos Chavez (pictured above with his class) is
one of 425 farmers to graduate
from the first Farmer Field Schools in Peru through ACCESO. He
completed 96 hours of training in pest management,
post-harvest handling, and other topics. Most of the
participating farmers are interested in cocoa as a way
of diversifying their existing production. ACCESO is
supported by the World Cocoa Foundation, the
Organization of American
States, the US Department of State, the US
Agency for International
Development, and Inter-American Institute for
Cooperation on Agriculture.
WCF thanks Mr. Marcelo Nuñez, the ACCESO executive secretary, for contributing this story. |
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"Farming is an art. I enjoy what I do. . . It's great to
see what I have done after [participating in SUCCESS
Alliance training sessions]."
- Mr. Nolie Vasquez, Brooke's Point, Palawan, the Philippines In an area where environmentally destructive slash- and-burn agriculture is common, Mr. Vasquez has become an advocate for the environment as well as a successful practitioner of cocoa agroforestry. Mr. Vasquez, a member of the Brooke's Point Tribal Federation, received 10 hectares of forest land under a government project to encourage sustainable agriculture through stewardship grants. Under the terms of the grant, farmers may only fell second growth trees and are required to plant a certain number of hardwood trees per hectare. To fully benefit from the stewardship program, farmers would need to learn the skills to farm successfully while complying with the terms of the grant. In 2004, SUCCESS Alliance Philippines
began
offering training
sessions on cocoa, one of the recommended crops.
Mr. Vasquez enrolled and began to realize the great
potential for growing cocoa throughout Palawan. He
received 100 seedlings for his own farm and began to
promote cocoa to his neighbors. Later that year, he
was offered the opportunity to become a training
facilitator, a role he enthusiastically accepted. To date,
he has trained 115 farmers and looks forward to
continuing as the second phase of SUCCESS Alliance
begins in the next few months.
Mr. Vasquez is passionate about his role as a steward of the land. He is working with the Tribal Association to promote sustainable farming and environmental conservation as new settlers arrive in the area. SUCCESS Alliance is supported by the US Department of Agriculture, the US Agency for International Development, World Cocoa Foundation, Mars Inc., and local organizations. In the Philippines, it is implemented by ACDI/VOCA and the Cocoa Foundation of the Philippines (CocoaPhil). WCF thanks Ms. Josephine Ramos of CocoaPhil for contributing this story. |
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"Cocoa Basics" is a new feature designed to
provide
insight into technical aspects of cocoa production and
demonstrate how WCF programs "bring science to the
field".
Intercropping is the practice of growing two or more crops in close proximity to each other, for example cocoa and coconut (pictured at right). In the context of cocoa farming, intercropping may include the integration of other tree crops (such as fruits and nuts), perennial crops, medicinal plants, spices, and timber trees. Cocoa farms are often established within existing forests and include a great variety of native trees and plants as well as a diverse array of crops. Such areas are known as agroforestry systems. Agroforestry is advantageous to the cocoa tree, the
farmer and the environment. The other trees provide
shade and create microclimatic conditions that are
adverse to cocoa pests and diseases. From an
economic standpoint, growing several different crops
allows the farmer to intensify land use, minimize the
costs of inputs such as fertilizer, and diversify income.
Growing cocoa in this manner can be beneficial to the
environment by preserving the forest, providing a
habitat for key animal species and conserving the
soil.
The practice of intercropping and agroforestry varies across regions. The World Cocoa Foundation and its partners support a variety of research and farmer training programs to meet local needs. Visit the WCF website for more information on these programs, related success stories, and resources for developing a more in-depth understanding. WCF thanks Mr. Richard Asare of Forest and Landscape Denmark/International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Dr. Eduardo Somarriba of CATIE, and Ms. Josephine Ramos of CocoaPhil for contributing to this article. |
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Click on the links below to read about WCF staff travel
to the field and participation in events. Visit the
World
Cocoa Foundation Blog on a regular basis for updates.
March 2007
Bill Guyton visited Cameroon for the STCP Executive Committee Meeting. The meeting included field visits to Ngoumou, Ikeketo, and the Sokamak Cooperative. Please share your thoughts and questions by posting a comment on a blog entry. New Book: WCF congratulates Allen Young on the publication of his new book The Chocolate Tree: A Natural History of Cacao Information on the Ghana Certification Report |
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Fun Fact: The original Latin name for the cacao tree was Amygdalae pecuniariae meaning "money almond" in recognition of the cacao bean's role as a currency in the Aztec and Mayan cultures.
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