ADM Cocoa Appoints New Global Sustainability General Manager

Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) has appointed Dr. Kai-Uwe Ostheim as General Manager – Global Sustainability Cocoa. He will lead ADM Cocoa’s global sustainability programme, as the company looks to build on the success of its existing initiatives and meet growing customer and consumer interest in supporting farming communities around the world.

21 Feb 2013 --- Based in Rolle, Switzerland, Dr. Ostheim will work with ADM’s technical and supply chain experts to further develop sustainability initiatives in Africa, Asia and the Americas. He will also work closely with a host of industry and non-industry stakeholders, including leading food manufacturers, non-government organisations, governmental bodies, certification authorities, farmer groups and industry associations and partnerships.

Previously Commercial Director, ADM Cocoa International, Dr. Ostheim first joined ADM in 1999 with a doctorate in agricultural economics from Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany. He worked in senior positions across ADM’s oilseeds division and has been based in Germany, Poland, the United States and Switzerland.

Dr. Ostheim reports directly to Scott Walker, President, ADM Cocoa, who emphasised: “A sustainable future for cocoa farming is a vision that ADM has long been working to achieve and the appointment of Kai-Uwe reflects our on-going commitment to improve the livelihoods of farmers in the cocoa growing regions of West Africa, South East Asia and South and Central America. It is important to share our knowledge and experience with other stakeholders and Kai-Uwe and his team will be working closely with ADM’s global customer base to optimize our sustainable cocoa and chocolate solutions.”

Dr. Ostheim now also assumes responsibility for ADM’s flagship cocoa sustainability programme – Socially and Environmentally Responsible Agricultural Practices (S.E.R.A.P.). This initiative has provided more than $15.3 million in financial incentives to cooperatives and individual farms in Côte d’Ivoire alone. By providing incentives at the producer-group level, S.E.R.A.P. encourages collaboration among growers as they work to responsibly address economic, social and environmental issues and improve the cocoa crop quality. The programme concept has now expanded into Nigeria and Indonesia, with the support of facilitating partners.

“Over the last decade, a great deal has been accomplished. Techniques to sustainably increase farm productivity have been identified and farmer field schools are educating an increasing number of growers on responsible labour practices, environmental stewardship and the professionalization of farming cooperatives,” adds Dr. Ostheim. “Partly due to the awareness building efforts of certifiers such as Rainforest Alliance, UTZ and Fair Trade, our customers and their consumers now understand why a sustainable future for cocoa matters. This is an exciting time for cocoa sustainability and I am delighted to play a leading role in that future."