Newsletter | October Thru December of 2008
New Year ’s Message
2008 was an eventful year for the World Cocoa Foundation. We held our largest ever Partnership Meeting in Latin America, launched a new Challenge Grants Program, hosted the first Cocoa Borlaug Fellows and moved our office to Washington, DC. In this special edition of the newsletter, we highlight the year’s activities and share some of our favorite success stories from ongoing programs we support in West Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.
On another note, we are pleased to welcome Clementine Leahy who is helping WCF with administration.
WCF-supported programs have helped to train over 300,000 cocoa farmers in West Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. We wanted to share with you some testimonials from our program partners below. Thank you to all of our members, partners and friends who helped to make this year a success. Best wishes for the new year!
West Africa
Cameroon: “The establishment of such a [farmer field] school is very necessary because it helps participants to know about all the various tools required to cultivate effectively…”- Joseph Pierre Modo, Mbakomo, Cameroon
Liberia: Joseph Mbarzey (pictured at right) can now afford food, medication and school-related expenses for his family thanks to increased yields and group selling arrangements.
Nigeria: “We are now in a position to establish and manage cocoa nurseries on our own and run it on a commercial basis to make money.” – Buhari Safiu, Ekperi, Edo State, Nigeria
WCF thanks the Sustainable Tree Crops Program (STCP) for submitting these stories. 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).
Ghana: “Thanks to the mobile VCT [voluntary counseling and testing] team that came to my village, I now know my HIV status. I tested negative for HIV!” – Kwesi, Aboaboso, Ghana
WCF thanks Family Health International (FHI) for submitting this story. Building and Strengthening Health and Wellness Activities for the Sustainable Tree Crops Program in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana Program. This program is supported by the World Cocoa Foundation and the US National Confectioners Association and is implemented by FHI.
Cote d’Ivoire: “This school year, I gave a large sum of money to my husband to take care of our children’s schooling, preventing him from borrowing as he usually does.” – Augustine Kouadio, Adzope, Cote d’Ivoire
WCF thanks Winrock International for submitting this story. ECHOES is a Global Development Alliance Partnership between the US Agency for International Development, the World Cocoa Foundation, and Foundation members Cloetta Fazer, ED&F Man Cocoa, the Hershey Company, Kraft Foods, Mars Inc., the Norwegian Association of Chocolate Manufacturers, Olam International Ltd., and Starbucks Coffee Company. Activities are implemented by the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help (IFESH), Making Cents International, and Winrock International.
Regional: WCF congratulates Dr. Sonii David of the Sustainable Tree Crops Program, recipient of the 2008 CGIAR Science Award in the outstanding communications category. Dr. David was recognized for her work on “Videos and Guidebooks for Cocoa Farmers in Ghana and Usage of Video Viewing Clubs”.
Southeast Asia
Vietnam: “Cocoa arrived at the right time for our family. Nowadays, our main income comes from cocoa.” – Do Van Phuc, Ben Tre Province, Vietnam
WCF thanks Nong Lam University for submitting this story. Nong Lam University’s Cocoa Project in Vietnam is supported by the World Cocoa Foundation.
Philippines: Johnny Silva implements improved techniques on his farm and participates in cocoa research projects.
WCF thanks CocoaPhil for submitting this story. SUCCESS Alliance Philippines is supported by the US Department of Agriculture, US Agency for International Development, World Cocoa Foundation, Mars Incorporated, ACDI/VOCA, CocoaPhil and various local organizations.
Regional: WCF’s funding support of the INGENIC Asia Pacific Working Group for 2008 contributed to the regional exchanges, allowing for more than 3,000 hybrid seedlings to be planted in the field. When established in the field, all of the tree seedlings are evaluated for production and resistance to local pests and diseases. Some of the planted trees are already flowering. Countries participating in the exchanges are Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Vietnam and India.
Photo: Field trial in the Philippines with Dr. Romulo Cena, the cocoa breeder from the University of Southern Mindanao
Latin America
Ecuador: Guayaquil hosted WCF’s first Partnership Meeting in Latin America. Following the Partnership Meeting in Guayaquil, WCF and CORPEI led a group of 27 WCF members, partners, and staff for a four-day Cocoa Tour visiting sites in the provinces of Guayas and Los Rios.
Regional: At the Partnership Meeting, speakers highlighted ACCESO's achievements in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Borlaug Fellows Program
WCF and the US Department of Agriculture/Foreign Agricultural Service welcomed the first Cocoa Borlaug Fellows. Abu Dadzie (Ghana) completed his fellowship at USDA/ARS in Miami with mentor Dr. Ray Schnell. Christiant Kouebou (Cameroon) and Lewis Levai (Cameroon) were hosted by Rutgers University in New Jersey where they worked with Prof. Paul Takhistov and Prof. Tom Gianfagna, respectively. Joseph Anikwe (Nigeria) completed his fellowship at USDA/ARS in Beltsville, Maryland with mentor Dr. Aijun Zhang. The fellows had the opportunity to visit several WCF member companies in the Philadelphia area including Barry Callebaut, Blommer Chocolate Company, Camden International Commodities Terminal LLC, The Hershey Company and Mars Inc. Abu, Christiant and Lewis also attended the World Food Prize Symposium in Iowa where they met Nobel laureate Dr. Norman E. Borlaug. WCF Executive Committee Member Ed Seguine of Guittard Chocolate Company spoke at a USDA event held in conjunction with the symposium. In 2009, WCF looks forward to welcoming additional fellows from Africa as well the first fellows from Southeast Asia and Latin America.
In Des Moines, Iowa, after the Luncheon offered by USDA on behalf of Dr. Norman E. Borlaug (sitting), and behind standing from left, Christiant Kouebou (Cameroon), Lewis D. Levai (Cameroon) and Na-Oume Habou Ibrahim (Niger).