Cargill's Farmer Training Introduced in Cameroon Following Excellent Results in Côte d'Ivoire

Cargill, which is the largest exporter of cocoa beans from both Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon, has built up an extensive network and presence on the ground in Cameroon, comparable to that in Côte d'Ivoire, including rural buying stations and warehouse facilities.

7/5/2011 --- Farmer cooperatives in Côte d'Ivoire are benefiting from average yield improvements of nearly 50%, a 30% reduction in major pest problems and quality improvements in bean fermentation as a result of Cargill's farmer training to support sustainable cocoa production and certification. Following on from the success of these pilot cooperatives, the training programme is being expanded to Cameroon, the world's fourth largest cocoa producer.

Harold Poelma managing director cocoa, Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, explains: "After the first year of UTZ certification, our pilot cooperatives in Côte d'Ivoire have seen on average a 47% increase in yields, rising from 559 to 882 kilograms per hectare.

"As a result of the adoption of good agricultural practices around pruning and weeding, there also has been, on average, a 30% reduction in major pests along with major improvement in the fermentation level of the beans and a decrease in humidity, due to improved drying and storage after harvest. These results convince us that we are following the right strategy in Côte d'Ivoire, and we will now adopt this successful policy in other cocoa growing countries where we feel we can make a real difference," Poelma added.

Cargill, which is the largest exporter of cocoa beans from both Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon, has built up an extensive network and presence on the ground in Cameroon, comparable to that in Côte d'Ivoire, including rural buying stations and warehouse facilities. This extensive network, and the close relationship with farmers it brings, benefits farmers in Cameroon and their communities.

The programme of farmer training in Cameroon will be delivered in partnership with Telcar, Cargill's joint venture partner in Cameroon. It is being launched in conjunction with the World Cocoa Foundation and Socodevi, a Canada-based network of cooperative businesses that supports farmers organizations' initiatives in the developing world. The programme will support the creation of a sustainable cocoa supply chain in the country, with the aim of achieving UTZ certification for cooperatives in 2012.

This latest expansion of farmer training, which complements that previously announced in Vietnam, underlines Cargill's belief that training farmers successfully is key to building a sustainable supply chain as well as helping increase farmers' incomes and supporting the future growth of cocoa farming. In addition, such training also strengthens the governance of cooperatives and farmers' organisations, and helps build partnerships between these organisations and their communities.

Providing training and support enables farmers to increase yields, improve quality and through these -  increase their incomes. By raising awareness of environmental, health and social issues Cargill's programme also helps strengthen local farming families and communities.

"In short, the training is directly benefiting farmers today and supports them in becoming successful entrepreneurs for the longer term," adds Poelma.

The UTZ Certified programme began in Côte d'Ivoire in 2008, and UTZ Certification is becoming increasingly recognised by industry and consumers as well as in the cocoa growing countries themselves.

"As a founder member of the UTZ Certified cocoa programme, we are pleased to see that UTZ Certification is becoming widely accepted across the cocoa sector, which is crucial in its objective to make sustainable cocoa mainstream. It is a promising start to a long-term journey towards sustainable cocoa," concludes Poelma.