ADM Cocoa to Support Community Development In Côte D'ivoire

Michiel Hendriksz, director of sustainability, ADM Cocoa, witnessed the complex issues surrounding gender at a rural elementary school in Côte d'Ivoire, where there was an imbalance in attendance, one in which boys significantly outnumbered their female counterparts. He also observed that with each increased grade level, the gender divide deepened.

 

“It is crucial for the acceleration of economic growth and the reduction of poverty that women and men have equal rights and opportunities,” said Hendriksz. “Women play and will continue to play key roles in establishing and sustaining environments in these rural communities, but they need and deserve our support.”

“WCF has a strong commitment to working with cocoa farmers in Côte d’Ivoire. We are especially excited that this new partnership with ADM includes outreach to women, who often form the economic backbone of cocoa-growing communities, and to youth, who will inherit their parents’ farms,” said Bill Guyton, president of the World Cocoa Foundation.

Funding for the start-up of the community development programmes is currently at $70,000 with ADM and the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) as primary benefactors. ADM is also looking to partner with other companies involved in the sector.

 

For more than a century, the people of Archer Daniels Midland Company have transformed crops into products that serve vital needs. Today, 30,000 ADM employees around the globe convert oilseeds, corn, wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, chemical and energy uses. With more than 270 processing plants, 420 crop procurement facilities, and the world’s premier crop transportation network, ADM helps connect the harvest to the home in more than 160 countries.