encouraging sustainable, responsible cocoa growing

Hi everyone. My name is Bill Guyton and I am the President of the World Cocoa Foundation. I’ll be blogging frequently on topics that are of interest to many people, including how cocoa makes it way from the tree to your table.

I’m also blogging to announce our new Web site; it has a completely different look and feel along with more information about things like how the World Cocoa Foundation makes a difference in the lives of cocoa farmers and how our programs promote responsible, sustainable farming the world over.

You might find me blogging about topics like the very good news about a “healthy communities” program we are supporting with our partners in West Africa under the leadership of the Sustainable Tree Crops Program (STCP) which will provide support to over 150,000 small-scale family farmers.

But one important note: this site isn’t just about us; it’s about you too. So please feel free to post your comments, feedback and thoughts. This blog is moderated, so please be respectful of your fellow readers.

Regards,
Bill

Entry: Bill Guyton

Last Wednesday, we held our twice yearly World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting in Washington, DC. Attendance was at record levels, with nearly 200 individuals from government, civil society, the chocolate industry and cocoa producing countries coming together. I was particularly pleased to have so many representatives from West African countries: their input is vital.

We celebrated achievements, and shared best practices. We talked candidly about the challenges we face in helping cocoa farmers, their families and communities.

There was an interesting discussion regarding the overall objectives of WCF. Some in the audience expressed a concern that improved cocoa productivity could lead to imbalances of supply and demand. All of the WCF programs stress "intensification" and "diversification" of farming so that farmers will be more profitable farms and also alternative sources of on-farm income. Our partners, including IITA, have researched this extensively. We have seen that farmers participating in our programs report income improvements of up to 60 percent.

We'll post presentations on this site, as soon as possible.

Yet the WCF Meeting was not the only news from last week. We announced a new project, "Healthy Communities," that will help 150,000 family farmers in West Africa. The effort, a continuation of the highly successful Sustainable Tree Crops Program, will train farmers on improved productivity, integrated pest management, HIV/AIDS awareness and safe, responsible labor practices. It's a major step forward, one that builds upon a proven approach, with great partners like USAID, IITA and West African governments.

I'm off to Costa Rica now, for a workshop on farmer productivity issues. Will send news shortly.

Saturday, I returned from San Jose, Costa Rica after attending the 15th International Cocoa Research Conference, hosted by the Cocoa Producer’s Alliance (COPAL). This conference is held every three years in the tropics. It provides an opportunity for cocoa researchers from around the world to share information on plant protection, genetics, cocoa by-products, agronomy/agroforestry, chemistry and human health. Over 100 papers were presented in 5 days!

I left the meeting appreciating the important work that scientists are making to protect this fragile tree crop. The session ended with a “score card” of achievements and challenges. Good progress is being made on identifying and combating some of the fungal diseases, although much work remains. Less is known about how to control insect pests such as Cocoa Pod Borer in Southeast Asia, and Mirids in West Africa. There is also a need to strengthen soil fertility research, and to better understand successful agroforestry models.

The World Cocoa Foundation and industry partners have provided financial and technical support on research programs in West Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. USDA is a key partner, along with CIRAD (French), IPGRI, University of Redding, Pennsylvania State University and many cocoa-growing country research institutes. This research can and will enables cocoa farmers to grow healthy and profitable crops.

Bill

Entry: Bill Guyton

Earlier this week, I participated in an interesting symposium on "Climate Change and Food Security in Africa", hosted by the Howard University Law School, World Food Law Institute. www.law.howard.edu/worldfoodlaw/.

Presentations focused on the challenges and potential solutions to climate change in Africa. Of particular interest to me was a speech given by Professor Gregory Jenkins, Howard University Physics and Astronomy Department. The complete presentation is in the information center of our website.

In the afternoon, I joined Ghana Ambassador Bawuah-Edusei and Mr. Onaolapo of Shell Petrolium on a panel discussion entitled "Technology Transfer and Infrastructure."

Cocoa is a very sensitve crop, growing in a narrow band 15-20 degrees north and south of the equator. Therefore, those involved in cocoa farming, marketing and manufacturing understand the importance of protecting the environment and biodiversity where cocoa grows. Public-private partnerships, such as the Sustainable Tree Crops Program (STCP) which is supported by USAID, World Cocoa Foundation, and others helps small scale cocoa farmers diverisfy tree crops and protect the environment. This is important, but more efforts are needed to conserve biodiversity and the fragile tropical environments so that cocoa can continue to flourish.