FDBusiness.com

Cargill has strengthened its global commitment to cocoa farmers and to building a sustainable cocoa sector through the Cargill Cocoa Promise. The commitment builds on the company’s work over the past 10 years and reconfirms Cargill’s efforts to grow and sustain cocoa farming communities while meeting the growing global demand for sustainable cocoa beans. The reinforcement of Cargill’s commitment was made at the World Cocoa Conference in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

The Cargill Cocoa Promise reinforces the company’s global commitment to making a difference in three key areas: training cocoa farmers; supporting cocoa farming communities; and investing in the long-term sustainable production of cocoa.

“The Cargill Cocoa Promise underlines our commitment to lead efforts on sustainable cocoa and support the future of cocoa farming around the world,” says Jos De Loor, President of Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business. “We have been working closely with cocoa farmers and communities for many years. Our Promise will help strengthen cocoa production – while continuing to improve the livelihoods of farmers, increasing access to education and healthcare in local communities, and providing better access to technology, finance and infrastructure.”

The Cargill Cocoa Promise will reinforce the company’s long-term work – by continuing to partner with local governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector – to provide farmer training, work in partnership with farmer organizations and positively contribute to local cocoa farming communities.

The program will see Cargill continue to invest and provide financing, training and support to maintain and strengthen a sustainable cocoa supply chain in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brazil. Already Cargill is on target to source over 100,000 tonnes of certified sustainable cocoa beans from Cote d’Ivoire by 2015 – making its program the largest of its kind in the country.