ADM Cocoa Confirms Commitment to Improving Livelihoods oof Farmers

A key player in the sustainable cocoa industry, ADM Cocoa was one of the main sponsors of this international cocoa conference, attracting 1,200 delegates from around the world. Experts warn that by 2020, there will be a shortfall of cocoa.

9 Jan 2013 --- At the recent World Cocoa Conference in Abidjan, Nigeria, ADM Cocoa presented its sustainability initiative with the next steps to improving the lives of famers in the cocoa growing regions of West Africa and South East Asia. ADM Cocoa, along with other major stakeholders, concluded the conference by signing the Abidjan Cocoa Declaration, thus underscoring and cementing their commitment to the sustainable development of cocoa.

A key player in the sustainable cocoa industry, ADM Cocoa was one of the main sponsors of this international cocoa conference, attracting 1,200 delegates from around the world. Experts warn that by 2020, there will be a shortfall of cocoa. This conference aimed to provide solutions and increase awareness of the diminishing cocoa supply.

Cocoa sustainability is a top priority for ADM Cocoa, which places importance on sharing its knowledge and experience in this field with other stakeholders. At the event, the company reinforced its S.E.R.A.P. (Socially and Environmentally Responsible Agricultural Practices) programme, which values expertise and experience, and announced the expansion of the programme into Indonesia. This extension will allow cocoa growing farmers in Indonesia to benefit from training, and so increase standards of farming, social responsibility, environmental stewardship, product quality and farm productivity.

ADM Cocoa works together with cooperatives to increase awareness of the issues and challenges facing the cocoa industry. One of the main aims of the programme is to encourage the organisation of independent cocoa growers into professional farming cooperatives. Today, the vast majority of small-holder cocoa farmers remain independent and difficult to reach. Well managed cooperatives represent an excellent platform for training, encouragement and delivery of incentives. ADM Cocoa is also placing emphasis upon the importance of educating and empowering women in cocoa growing communities as well as developing credible systems of crop traceability.

Michiel Hendriksz, director of sustainability, ADM Cocoa, comments, “ADM Cocoa has long been committed to supplying high quality chocolate and cocoa products as we simultaneously remain committed to our programmes to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers. Our innovative grass roots approach is addressing the real-life long-term needs of the famers, families and their communities. We are proud that ADM Cocoa has made this progress in Africa in sustainable cocoa farming practices and are looking forward to further expansions into Indonesia and other key cocoa growing areas.”

ADM Cocoa has been proactively supporting cooperatives since 2002 and the S.E.R.A.P. programme was launched in 2005 to begin to reach farmers in Côte d’Ivoire with improved, responsible agricultural practices. Elements of S.E.R.A.P. have now expanded into Nigeria and Indonesia. To date, over 60,000 farmers have benefited under the programme.

This initiative has provided more than $15.3 million in financial incentives to cooperatives and individual farms in Côte d’Ivoire. In addition to the standard programme premiums, ADM Cocoa offers daily incentives to cooperatives which deliver cocoa beans meeting the highest quality requirements. By providing incentives at the producer-group level, S.E.R.A.P. encourages collaboration among growers as they work to responsibly address social and environmental issues and improve the cocoa crop quality.

With the world population expanding, growing importance is being placed on increased productivity to meet future demands for cocoa and increase revenues per hectare. Already a total of more than 40,000 MT of beans are grown annually under the S.E.R.A.P. umbrella. As many as 67 cooperatives and numerous independent farmers are involved in the programme in Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Indonesia, thus making ADM Cocoa one of the most influential participants in the global sustainable cocoa supply-chain.