encouraging sustainable, responsible cocoa growing

Dear Readers,

Here is a question we received in a recent email:

QUESTION FROM READER: I read on your website that World Cocoa Foundation is co-funding a "healthy communities" initiative through the Sustainable Tree Crops Program (STCP) in West Africa. Can you tell me more about this program and who is sponsoring it?

WORLD COCOCA FOUNDATION RESPONSE: We are pleased to announce that the "Healthy Communities" initiative was launched in October 2006, building on progress achieved by the Sustainable Tree Crops Program (STCP) in its pilot phase. The new phase expands the reach to cocoa farm families in West Africa, where 70 percent of the world's cocoa is grown. Over 150,000 cocoa farmers in the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria and Liberia will be reached, over the next five years.

Designed to teach farmers about disease and pest control, crop management and improving farming techniques, farmer field schools have proven highly effective in driving change in cocoa communities. Participating West African farmers, who also marketed their crops collectively, saw their incomes increase by 20 to 55 percent during the program's pilot phase. Farmer Field Schools also raise awareness of responsible labor practices and help ensure that children are not exposed to unsafe working conditions. Additional information on the program can be found on: http://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/difference/africa-ffs.asp and
http://www.treecrops.org/.

Program Partners include:
* US Agency for International Development (USAID)
* The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
* SOCODEVI(a Canadian organization, with farmer cooperative
expertise)
* CABI Bioscience UK
* African farmer cooperatives
* African governments and community groups

World Cocoa Foundation members who provided specific financial and technical contributions to this program are:
*Mars, Inc.
*The Hershey Company
*Nestle
*Kraft
*ADM
*Guittard
*Blommer
*OLAM
*Ferrero
*Chocolate Manufacturer's Association of Canada (CMAC)
*Chocolate Manufacturer's Association of USA (CMA)
*International Confectionary Association (ICA)
*Small and medium-sized WCF member companies