Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business sets new 2022 roadmap for Ghana, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of its presence in this country.
Cargill’s 2022 roadmap for Ghana includes:
- 80,000 farmers receiving capacity building support and facilitated access to inputs through their Farmer Field Schools;
- The provision of one million new cocoa seedlings for rehabilitation of old farms and 200,000 shade tree seedlings to protect cocoa trees and improve biodiversity;
- Access to crop protection for 30,000 farmers;
- Completion of 100% mapping of farms; using geolocation and perimeter of the farms to allow deforestation monitoring and farm development;
- 9,000 ha of cocoa developed into a cocoa agroforestry system within the Cocoa & Forest Initiative.
Cargill celebrated at its cocoa processing facility in Tema, Ghana. The managing director of Cargill Ghana, Pieter Reichert, said: “Our 2022 roadmap is fully aligned with our global sustainability goals and consolidates our continuing support for a sustainable cocoa business here in Ghana. Completion of our mapping program will ensure farm sizes are accurately recorded to support farmers in decision making and investment. At the same time 80,000 farmers will be trained in good agricultural, environmental and social practices to support certification.”
During the event, Harold Poelma, president of Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, emphasized the importance of a sustainable cocoa industry, and growing the sector using innovation. “We must embrace new technologies as a way for Cargill to drive sector growth. For example, we have introduced e-money into our business model. This allows Cargill to buy cocoa directly from farmers and their cooperatives and pay them by electronic transfer, ensuring the money reaches them swiftly, safely and accurately. Ultimately, this improves the livelihoods of farmers and their communities. At the same time, new technological solutions are driving more precise, accurate traceability within the cocoa supply chain,” Poelma said.
Cargill also launched its Ghana licensed buying company, Cargill Kokoo Sourcing Company Limited, in 2016 across four districts, introducing many innovations such as bar codes to enable the full traceability of cocoa beans, portable printers, new apps, electronic money transfer and cloud-based information systems, all which are new to the Ghanaian market.
Caption: Cargill with members of the Ministry of Agriculture and the CMC (Cocoa Marketing Company) Ghana.