FDBusiness.com

Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business has made the second of its annual sustainable certified cocoa premium payments, which total over $2.2 million, to 26,500 farmers across 21 co-operatives in Cote d’Ivoire. The substantial payments mark another step in Cargill’s commitment to build a sustainable cocoa supply chain and support cocoa farmers.

Over 50% of the payments go directly to farmers with the remainder used by co-operatives to provide assistance to their members and to build local community facilities. These latest payments follow the first sustainable premiums paid by Cargill to farmers last year.

Farmers are receiving the premium payment for the delivery of 20,000 tonnes of UTZ Certified and Rainforest Alliance cocoa between October 2010 and May 2011. This represents approximately 10% of Cargill’s total bean sourcing in Cote d’Ivoire. The co-operatives obtained certification following participation in Cargill’s farmer training programme for certified cocoa in 500 Farmer Field Schools across the cocoa growing regions.

Kouakou Jacques, president of the Fiedifoue Co-operative, explains: “The majority of the premium we receive is used for resources that benefit our community. For example, we have previously used the premium to build schools and a maternity clinic. In this way we ensure that the whole community shares in and benefits from these payments.”

The training is an intensive 10 month programme for co-operatives and their members and has been developed by Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business in partnership with rural development agency Anader.

In addition to the 21 co-operatives now certified, 20 others are expected to receive certification before the start of the next crop season, with a further 30 co-operatives set to join the programme in October 2011.

As a result of its success in Cote d’Ivoire, Cargill has intensified its farmer training programme in Vietnam, and recently announced the expansion of the programme to Cameroon.