A special guest blog by Dr. Ermias Betemariam published on the Mars Sustainable Cocoa Initiative website describes his recent visit to cocoa farms in Soubré, a region of Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s largest cocoa producer.
Ermias, a land health scientist with the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), describes the various constraints being faced by smallholder cocoa farmers, and how these are being tackled within the Vision for Change: Sustainable Cocoa Communities project.
The project is a long-term public-private sector partnership of the global confectionery manufacture Mars Chocolate, ICRAF, national institutions, universities, industry peers and others.
Project partners will reach hundreds of thousands of smallholder cocoa farmers and, using technology transfer and research, help increase cocoa yields in a sustainable way that also brings livelihood benefits to the farmers.
Sustainable and profitable cocoa production will meet the strong and growing demand for cocoa by the chocolate industry, and at the same time improve farming communities’ lives.
Read full blog:
Securing chocolate, securing livelihoods
Related links:
World Agroforestry Centre cocoa webpage http://worldagroforestry.org/events/cocoa-farming
Cocoa Futures: An innovative programme of research and training is transforming the lives of cocoa growers in Indonesia and beyond. No. 09, Trees for Change’ publications series.
On-farm productivity research at the World Agroforestry Centre
