DIGITAL TWIN TECHNOLOGY
Interview
Through new eyes
B 30
ehind every bar of chocolate is the work of millions of smallholder cocoa farmers—many of whom are performing intricate, labour- intensive tasks with blurry vision.
For VisionSpring
Senior Advisor Ramona Bajema, this isn’t just a health issue, it’s a critical factor in productivity, compliance, and livelihoods. As global supply chains develop and new regulations demand greater traceability and documentation, clear sight becomes a necessity. In this conversation, Bajema shares how VisionSpring is working to equip cocoa farmers in Ghana and beyond with the vision tools they need to thrive in a changing world, and we also speak directly to a farmer about their experience with VisionSpring:
What inspired VisionSpring to focus on vision correction for cocoa farmers, and what makes this issue so critical? VisionSpring Senior Advisor, Ramona Bajema: Clear vision is essential for all agricultural
Kennedy’s Confection April 2025
workers, but it is especially important for cocoa farmers. In cocoa cultivation, hand-pollination is a vital process to increase yields, but it’s impossible to do if you can’t see clearly.
Clear sight isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. Here’s how VisionSpring is putting cocoa farmers back in focus. Kiran Grewal reports.
Ramona Bajema
Sorting cocoa beans, weighing them, and packaging them all require precise vision. Without clear sight, farmers are unable to properly manage these critical tasks, which impacts both their productivity and their livelihoods.
This led us to launch Livelihoods in Focus
in 2022 - a campaign to screen and correct the vision of more than 8 million tea, coffee, cocoa and artisan workers and unlock $1 billion in extra earnings for workers and their families. More recently, with the new EU regulations (EUDR) pushing for deforestation-free cocoa and increasing demands for traceability, farmers need to be able to meet stricter documentation
and reporting requirements. This includes supplying land ownership documents, maps, and GPS data; tracking harvests, inputs, and sales; and leveraging digital tools for land use mapping and monitoring. However, for many smallholder farmers—particularly those who’ve never had access to vision care—simply reading and completing these records can pose a
These requirements are being introduced to ensure that cocoa is grown without contributing to deforestation and that every bean can be traced back to its source. Cocoa farmers everywhere must comply with these requirements, but manage and report the necessary data. The EU’s traceability systems are still being developed, and misalignment between local systems and EU standards creates further challenges for farmers. Without eyeglasses, farmers can struggle to participate in these systems, which are now essential for maintaining market access and ensuring sustainable practices.
KennedysConfection.com
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