Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business will collaborate with Mondelēz International on the introduction of a new two-and-a-half-year programme in Indonesia, aimed at improving the livelihoods of smallholder cocoa farmers and driving sustainability in their farming practices.
In all, 6,000 farmers and their families in two districts of Southeast Sulawesi, in the centre of the country, will benefit from the new project. It is supported by a grant from the Millennium Challenge Account, which has match-funded the investment of Mondelēz International and Cargill.
The program will deliver training in good agricultural practices to improve knowledge and boost productivity, while improving environmental practices to reduce the carbon footprint of cocoa farming. There also will be nutrition training and the creation of vegetable gardens to encourage food diversification and extra incomes for households.
The partnership forms part of Mondelēz’s Cocoa Life programme.
Andi Sitti Asmayanti, Southeast Asia Cocoa Life manager, said: “After a successful first collaboration with Cargill in Indonesia in 2014, we are very excited to be working in partnership again on a large scale project in Indonesia. Through Cocoa Life, Mondelēz International plans to reach 40,000 farmers in Indonesia and we believe this project will be a major step forward in reaching this commitment, and supporting cocoa farmers and communities to thrive.”
The work with Mondelēz International reflects the priorities of the Cargill Cocoa Promise, which represents a commitment to improving the livelihoods of farmers, their families and their communities, and, in doing so, securing a long-term supply of cocoa.
Niels Boetje, managing director of Cargill Coca & Chocolate in Asia Pacific, added: “For 150 years, farmers have been central to our business. They are the cornerstone of our participation in the food and agriculture industry all over the world. At Cargill, we see it as our fundamental responsibility to work towards improving their quality of life and raise their incomes in the communities where we live and work. We do this by engaging them at various levels to become more productive, more efficient, and to grow their business to be more sustainable, especially by better utilising their land and natural resources.”
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