Madame Massandje Toure-Litse, Director General of the Cocoa & Coffee Council (Conseil Café Cacao or CCC) of Côte d’Ivoire, has commended the work of the Vision for Change program in transforming the cocoa industry and the livelihoods of local communities.

An article on EIN Presswire reports on a visit by Toure-Litse to 2 Ivorian communities who are taking part in the initiative. She saw first-hand how training and support is providing benefits and how community development efforts are empowering cocoa communities to improve their quality of life.

Toure-Litse is an advocate for a sustainable cocoa industry in Côte d’Ivoire. As Director General of the CCC, her decisions have a significant impact on the cocoa sector.

The Vision for Change (V4C) program is part of Mars Chocolate’s Sustainable Cocoa Initiative (SCI), aimed at achieving sustainable cocoa production by addressing farmer productivity and community issues together. It involves a partnership several organizations, including the CCC, the World Agroforestry Centre and local Ivorian Government partners such as CNRA (an agronomic research center) and ANADER (local extension services).

“My feeling is that communities have endorsed the Mars and CCC vision of involving local inhabitants to determine their own needs,” said Toure-Litse. “Communities are really involved in the whole process, for they have contributed to the funding.”

Read the full story: Mars’ Vision For Change Project Draws Support From Director General Of The Cocoa And Coffee Council Of Côte d’Ivoire

View a video of Massandje Toure-Litse’s visit

Find out more about the Vision for Change program: Building Sustainable Cocoa Communities in Cote d’Ivoire