16 • Cocoa World • C&CI May 2013
ICCO, ECA and CFC join forces to tackle pests and diseases
As highlighted elsewhere in this issue, the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) announced in February that it is to lead a new initiative to tackle cocoa pests and diseases in West Africa, in partnership with the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), the European Cocoa Association (ECA). The world’s leading chocolate manufacturers, Mars and Mondelez International are also involved in the initiative, and other companies expected to participate. The project, which will be launched in April, aims to tackle the cocoa pests and diseases that are the main challenges to sustainable cocoa economy. Together, they account for more than 40 per cent of global crop losses in cocoa production, and result in reduced income for cocoa farmers. The ‘Integrated Management of Cocoa
Cargill expands cocoa processing capacity at
Ilhéus, Brazil Cargill is expanding the cocoa processing capacity of its Ilhéus plant in Brazil by 25 per cent. The investment is designed to help the plant keep up with rising consumer demand for chocolate and cocoa products. The expansion project is already underway and expected to be concluded in early 2014.
The ICCO, ECA and CFC have joined forces to address serious pests and diseases, such as cocoa black pod
Pests and Pathogens in Africa’ project is a US$3.2 million initiative that will address this issue in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo, the source of 70 per cent (about 2.8 million tonnes) of global cocoa production. With the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) co-ordinating activities on the ground, the project aims to gather forces and expertise in the region, building on past and existing initiatives in these countries, with the active support of the cocoa and chocolate industry, in order to improve the productivity on cocoa farms by reducing losses to indigenous cocoa pests and diseases. In addition, the project will strengthen in-country and regional capacity for improved pest surveillance for prevention of spread, early detection, eradication and continued management of existing and invasive pests and pathogens.
Among the major indigenous cocoa pests and diseases to be targeted by the project are those that cause significant crop losses in Africa: mirids; sting bugs; stem borers; black pod and cocoa swollen shoot virus (CSSV). Also to be addressed is the recent emergence of parasitic plants such as mistletoes and epiphytes, which also threaten West African cocoa production. Particular attention will be given to CSSV, as new outbreaks in Côte d’Ivoire are casting doubt over the future of production in a country that supplies almost 40 per cent of the world’s cocoa. The viral disease is one of the most intractable and destructive to strike the cocoa industry in West Africa, and it has similar effects to witches’ broom disease, which cut cocoa production in Brazil by over 50 per cent in the 1990s.
The initiative will be launched with a workshop bringing together research institutions and the industry, which is scheduled to be held in Accra, Ghana in April.
Blommer signs
Abidjan declaration Blommer Chocolate Company, the largest cocoa processor and chocolate supplier in North America, has become the latest stakeholder to sign the Abidjan Cocoa Declaration. President and Chief Operating Officer Peter Blommer signed the Declaration on 20 February on behalf of the Chicago-based, family-owned company, which was founded in 1939, and has four North American plants, employing 650. Blommer joined 30 other cocoa sector stakeholders,
Cargill is investing more than ten million Real (R$10 million) in equipment and a technology platform to ensure higher production efficiency and reduce the energy demand of its operations by up to 10 per cent.
More Ghanaian farmers gain access to CocoaLink
Financial and technical support from Cargill will provide 6,000 more Ghanaian cocoa farmers and community members with access to CocoaLink, a programme which uses mobile phone voice and SMS text messages to connect them with information about good farming practices, labour safety, and crop marketing.
CocoaLink was established in 2011 by the Ghana Cocoa Board, the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), and the Hershey Company. It has proved to be an effective tool to spread knowledge and share good practices to help farmers increase yields and market their products better so they can increase their incomes. It has reached 16,289 farmers in the past two years and its goal is to reach 100,000 farmers by the end of 2013. Over the coming months, Cargill will implement the rollout of CocoaLink to 6,000 farmers who participate in Cargill’s Farmer Field Schools in Ghana. CocoaLink will reinforce what farmers have learned during training, increasing its effectiveness, bringing even greater benefits to farmers. WCF trainers will conduct training classes on the technology, with the Ghana Cocoa Board providing the information that is shared with farmers.
ranging from cocoa growers through their governments to civil society and most of the world’s largest manufacturers of chocolate, who began the signing of the ground-breaking agreement at a special ceremony during the World Cocoa Conference in Abidjan in November.
The declaration remains open to allow more cocoa stakeholder organizations to sign it. It is described as “the first step in an ongoing process aimed at creating a sustainable future for the cocoa sector and helping to ensure that its benefits are shared along the entire chain, starting with the growers.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52