50 ■ PROFILE
C&CI
co-ops grew to 24, represent-
March 2010 ing more than 12,000 farmers
who produce more than 20,000
tonnes of cocoa."
"An analysis of several
cocoa-bean quality criteria con-
As part of the School Meals
ducted between the 2005-2006
Programme, ADM provides
and 2008-2009 growing sea-
nourishing meals to
sons showed that SERAP par-
thousands of Ivorian
children to help encourage
ticipants are regularly achieving school attendance
strong results in virtually every
quality category, including
moisture and Free Fatty Acid
Scott Walker,
(FFA) content. This, in turn,
Managing
enables these farmers to com-
Director, ADM
Cocoa
mand better prices for their International
crops," Mr Walker told C&CI.
At the same time, the programme’s farmers about labour standards,
social components are having a posi- business practices and farming
tive impact on the overall well-being of methods. To help reach more farmers
cocoa-farming communities by, for with these important messages, ADM
instance, encouraging parents to reg- provides opportunities for farmers
ister their children for school, and by from participating co-operatives to
helping them prevent the spread of attend the STCP’s ‘Train the Trainer’
HIV/AIDS. field schools. These programmes
prepare farmers to serve as technical
Enhancing
advisors capable of sharing informa-
tion among thousands of other co-op
employee health
members once they have completed
This emphasis on health and wellness the programme.
was also evident in ADM’s decision to ADM also supports the Ivorien
establish a comprehensive workplace School Canteen Programme to
health programme near its new pro-
A group of cocoa farmers in Cote d’Ivoire receive training as part of the
improve nutrition and school atten-
cessing facility in Kumasi, Ghana.
Sustainable Tree Crops Programme
dance. Working with the UN World
The programme, developed in part- Food Programme and the Ivorian
nership with Gesellschaft für Technische chocolate industry companies to Ministry of Education, ADM provides direct
Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), an international announce a US$40 million programme to financial support and in-kind donations of
sustainable development organisation, improve the livelihoods of approximately protein for inclusion in meals served at
aims to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS, 200,000 cocoa farming families in Côte schools. "The availability of nutritious meals
tuberculosis, malaria and other infectious d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia and provides a compelling incentive for parents
diseases, and to increase access to Cameroon," Mr Walker explained. to send their children to school," said Mr
health and social services offered by the The aim of the Cocoa Livelihoods Walker, noting that ADM’s contributions to
country’s national health insurance offer- Programme is to enhance farmer knowl- the programme have provided meals for as
ing. "Nearly all of our local employees and edge and competitiveness, improve pro- many as 80,000 children each year.
their immediate family members enrolled ductivity and quality, promote diversifica-
in the programme on its establishment, tion and improve supply-chain efficiency
Making a difference
and we are currently working with neigh- by training farmers in better production
bouring communities to enroll additional techniques, crop-quality improvement "Though ADM and our partners in the
local residents," Mr Walker told C&CI. and business skills. cocoa industry have made considerable
"All of the objectives of these pro- progress toward creating a sustainable
Promoting better lives
grammes complement those of other pro- supply chain for cocoa and better lives for
grammes we have helped to advance cocoa farming families, we recognize that
ADM has also implemented other impor- through the International Institute of there remains a great deal of work ahead
tant cocoa sustainability initiatives, both Tropical Agriculture’s Sustainable Tree of us," Mr Walker concluded. "What keeps
independently and in partnership with Crops Program (STCP), and through the us moving forward is the knowledge that
industry participants who share the com- Ivorian School Canteen Programme," Mr we are doing right by the increasing num-
pany’s concerns. "In February 2009, we Walker told C&CI. ber of cocoa farmers who participate in
joined the World Cocoa Foundation As he explained, the Sustainable Tree these programmes, and by the millions of
(WCF), the Bill & Melinda Gates Crops Programme’s Farmer Field Schools consumers who enjoy the fruits of their
Foundation and several other cocoa and have educated more than 80,000 cocoa harvest." ■ C&CI
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