Newsletter | February 2007
President’s Message
Dear WCF Members, Partners and Friends,
The past few months have brought great news for the World Cocoa Foundation and the cocoa communities that participate in our programs. Cloetta Fazer AB joins Mars Inc. and the Norwegian Association of Chocolate Manufacturers as a sponsor of Winrock's CLASSE non- traditional education program in Côte d'Ivoire. In Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, IITA's Video Viewing Clubs for women farmers will benefit as Sunspire joins Nestlé and the Chocolate Manufacturers Association in funding this project.
WCF is also pleased to announce two new programs for 2007. The National Confectioners Association is sponsoring an HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention program in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire implemented by Family Health International. And, a new sustainable cocoa program design is being finalized in Liberia. Look for more news on these and other WCF programs throughout the year in our newsletters and in our blog.
On another note, we are pleased to announce Charlie Feezel as WCF's education program director. Charlie joins us from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) where his work in the field of education included outreach and communications, higher education, workforce development and girls' education. Prior to his work at USAID, he managed training for teachers for the Peace Corps Burundi, Congo, Mauritania, Morocco, and Swaziland, and serves as Peace Corps associate director for small business development in Mali and deputy Peace Corps program director in Jamaica.
Regards,
Bill Guyton
ED&F Man Cocoa - New Member Spotlight
With a successful history of over 220 years, ED&F Man is a global supplier of foods, feeds, bio- energy and services. In each of their major business sectors, they are within the top three in the world. ED&F Man Cocoa is one of the world's leading merchants of cocoa beans and semi-finished products. In addition to these exporting businesses, ED&F Man employ agents who gather information and monitor the quality of the cocoa as it grows. A network of crop forecasters and statisticians provides a crucial advantage in information and market analysis.
"Based on the principle that groups are more efficient than individuals alone, ED&F Man Cocoa has committed itself to working through active contribution, membership and support of various trade and industry organisations to promote sustainable development within the cocoa industry. Our contribution to the WCF and our working involvement towards better use of natural resources, better protection of individuals and the development of a more responsible business stems from an active commitment to promote positive change."
Petra Foods Limited - New Member Spotlight
Listed on the Stock Exchange of Singapore, Petra Foods Limited is one of the world's largest manufacturers of premium cocoa ingredients under the Delfi(r) brand and a major chocolate confectionery player in the Southeast Asian region. Through its two key business divisions, the Cocoa Ingredients Division and Branded Consumer Division, the company's capabilities extend across the spectrum of activities of the cocoa ingredients and chocolate industries.
In joining the Foundation, Mr. Sin Heng Ng, director - commercial of Petra Foods Limited states, "As a company with a strong sense of corporate and social responsibility, we fully support the World Cocoa Foundation's mission of promoting a sustainable cocoa economy through economic and social development, and environmental conservation in cocoa-growing communities. While promoting a sustainable cocoa economy is significant for the long term growth of the industry as a whole, we also share the Foundation's view that it should be achieved in a responsible manner. We recognize that as a company, we would like to invest a little more in the resources to promote such a mission, and if we are part of an international body like the World Cocoa Foundation, we can participate and contribute more effectively to a shared future with shared benefits."
Ivoirian Youth excels in Leadership Program
Nineteen year old Firmin from the village of Yadio in Côte d'Ivoire established his own cocoa nursery (pictured at right), helped his father modernize his farm, and now teaches family and friends new farming techniques. Firmin, who left school at the age of 13, recently completed an agriculture leadership training program for out-of-school youth. Through the program, Firmin learned farming techniques for both cocoa and other crops, child labor prevention, HIV/AIDS awareness, and small business and leadership skills.
The agriculture leadership program is a part of the Child Labor Alternatives through Sustainable Systems in Education Program (CLASSE) which works with in- and out-of-school youth in Côte d'Ivoire through classes and agriculture clubs. CLASSE is implemented by Winrock International with funding from the World Cocoa Foundation, Cloetta Fazer AB, Mars Inc., and the Norwegian Association of Chocolate Manufacturers.
WCF thanks Winrock International for contributing this story.
Cocoa Fairs are a Success in Ecuador
In Manabi and Los Rios provinces, 3,500 farmers have attended cocoa fairs organized by cocoa farmers and local authorities with support from SUCCESS Alliance Ecuador. Farmer Field School graduates, exporters including World Cocoa Foundation member ANECACAO, the INIAP research institute, organic product companies, and other cocoa projects in the region join together to learn, share their knowledge and celebrate cocoa. Five cocoa fairs have been held since September 2006.
Farmers have the opportunity to network, display their products, demonstrate their knowledge, and compete for prizes such as best cocoa pod. Many Farmer Field Schools organize their own booths, such as the Las Lajas School's booth pictured at left. Each fair also crowns a cocoa queen selected fro her creative cocoa attire and knowledge of cocoa farming. SUCCESS Alliance members include the World Cocoa Foundation and US Department of Agriculture.
WCF thanks ACDI/VOCA, the program's implementer, for contributing this story.
Farmer builds Successful Cocoa Enterprise in Vietnam
Four years after planting his first cocoa trees, Mr. Dam Van Tuan of Dak Nong Province in Vietnam harvested 2 tons of cocoa beans on his one hectare farm, up from 1.2 tons the previous year. Mr. Tuan became interested in cocoa after attending a World Cocoa Foundation-sponsored Nong Lam University (NLU) Cocoa Project workshop.
After unsuccessful attempts to grow coffee, a traditional crop in Dak Nong, Mr. Tuan was looking for an alternative crop more suitable to weather conditions on his farm. The workshop inspired him to try cocoa beginning with the 500 seedlings he received from the NLU Cocoa Project. Today, Mr. Tuan is a successful cocoa farmer and well-known resource for other farmers in the area. His farm is often the site for Farmer Field Schools and he advises farmers interested in growing cocoa (as he is pictured third from the left). Mr. Tuan recently expanded his cocoa business to include selling budwood to area nurseries and operating a fermentation business.
WCF thanks the Nong Lam University Cocoa Project for contributing this story.
Cocoa Basics: What is Cocoa Pod Borer?
"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".
Cocoa Pod Borer (Conopomorpha cramerella) is the most damaging cocoa insect pest in Southeast Asia. It destroys almost 40% of cocoa in Sulawesi, Indonesia and is a major production limiting factor in Malaysia and the Philippines. Cocoa pod borer moths lay eggs on the surface of cocoa pods. Larvae drill into the pod and feed on the pulp and placenta of developing cocoa beans. This causes clumping of beans and disturbs their development resulting in small, flat, low fat beans. Both the quality and quantity of beans produced are significantly reduced. Significant increase in "non-bean" material (e.g., cocoa pod placenta, cocoa bean shell, and flat beans) and bean quality perceptions by cocoa graders and chocolate manufacturers have been associated with severe cocoa pod borer damage.
In Sulawesi alone, the losses due to cocoa pod borer are close to US$450 million. Several research projects are in place to define the best methods for controlling cocoa pod borer through integrated pest management. Additionally, high-yielding cocoa planting material that show some level of resistance to cocoa pod borer are being tested in the field. The World Cocoa Foundation ensures that research results are disseminated to farmers participating in its programs in the region.
More information can be found on the Cocoa Integrated Pest Management homepage which tracks the major scientific literature relating to the Cocoa Pod Borer. The site is hosted by the Ohio State University's Agricultural Research & Development Center.
WCF thanks Dr. Smilja Lambert of Mars Inc. and Dr. Leah Porter of the Chocolate Manufacturers Association/American Cocoa Research Institute for contributing to this story.
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.
February 2007
Bill Guyton attends the New Liberia--Open for Business Forum.
January 2007
Tracey Duffey visits Ghana.
Bill Guyton and Kip Walk attend the Association for International Agricultural and Rural Development Capitol Hill Forum
WCF sponsors Cocoa Educational Workshop at the Embassy of Ghana in Washington, DC
December 2006
Robert Peck speaks at the Chocolate Technology Conference in Germany.
Please share your thoughts and questions by posting a comment on a blog entry.
Fun Fact: Each cocoa pod contains 20 to 50 seeds.