Entry: Bill Guyton

Today, the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and the Swedish Chocolate, Confectionery and Biscuit Manufacturers’ Association (CHOKOFA) announced a new occupational safety and health project. The 18-month project will focus on farmer training and development of innovative technologies in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. press release.

Dr. Sonii David will lead the effort of developing training modules on occupational safety and health. She is an extension specialist working at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture/Sustainable Tree Crops Program (IITA/STCP). The modules will be used in conjunction with ongoing farmer field school programs to reinforce concepts during training sessions and serve as a reference guide for farm families. The farmer field school methodology is an interactive training approach that emphasizes learning-by-doing. The training modules and materials will be piloted in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana with an initial group of 930 farmers. By the conclusion of the project, the materials will be available for use by other programs and institutions in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. The materials will be readily adaptable for use in other countries.

In addition to the farmer training activities, the project has a challenge grant component that provides funding for the development of innovations in the areas of farm safety, farm level innovations and health education materials. A total of two grants will be awarded to Ivorian research institutes, national universities or non-governmental organizations as part of the 2009 World Cocoa Foundation Challenge Grants Program.

We at World Cocoa Foundation would like to extend our thanks to Håkan Björklund, Director General of the Swedish Chocolate, Confectionery and Biscuit Manufacturers’ Association for helping to support this important effort. We look forward to working with our colleauges in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire over the coming months.