Cocoa is a major ingredient for us. We use it in our savory chocolates, cookies, desserts and in some of our beverages. Consistency of supply, in terms of volume, quality and price is important for our business. We want to help maintain the long-term stability of the cocoa supply chain and improve the welfare of cocoa farmers and farm communities.
These challenges are complex, requiring a coordinated effort from local government, industry and other organizations. Kraft Foods is working as part of this coordinated effort to help maintain our supply of cocoa. We're supporting programs that educate farmers and promote responsible farm practices, impacting approximately two million farms. And our primary focus is in West Africa, but we also have programs underway in Southeast Asia and Latin America. We believe the key to solving these problems is to improve farmers' income. We can do this by promoting efficiency in the supply chain, productivity and quality.
We hope to empower cocoa farmers, their families and communities to build better lives for themselves while making sure we maintain an adequate supply of quality cocoa for generations to come.
West Africa Cocoa Livelihoods Program
Kraft Foods entered a five-year partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and industry, government and non-governmental partners to support a World Cocoa Foundation project aimed to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers in West Africa. The partnership will provide $40 million in cash and related support to improve cocoa production and supply chain efficiency for 200,000 small-scale farmers in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Liberia by 2014.
Certification
Buying certified commodities is a powerful means of promoting sustainable farming, supporting farmers and enabling consumers to make informed choices. We're working with Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance to help bring more products to market that have sustainably grown ingredients. By 2010, we were the largest buyer of cocoa beans from certified Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance farms.
Why certification? Because it addresses the three pillars of sustainability – social, economic and environmental – by setting standards farmers must meet in order to command a premium for their crops. The ultimate goals of these standards include decent wages and access to healthcare and education for farming communities, and reductions in water pollution, soil erosion, and excessive pesticide use, and more. Smarter farming equals healthier farm communities and better quality crops. And this benefits everyone.
In 2011, we were the largest buyer of cocoa beans from certified Fairtrade farms and among the largest buyers from Rainforest Alliance CertifiedTM Farms.
World Cocoa Foundation
Kraft Foods is a member of World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and supports its programs. Formed in 2000, the WCF helps cocoa-farming families develop and manage effective, sustainable farming practices. The Foundation also helps farmers raise funds and acts as a forum to share ideas about cocoa farming. These efforts are often rolled-out in partnerships between the WCF and a range of interested institutions and organizations. Examples of WCF activities supported by us include:
- West Africa Cocoa Livelihoods Program with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- African Cocoa Initiative (WCF/ACI)
- Empowering Cocoa Households with Opportunities and Education Solutions (ECHOES)
Cocoa Partnership
Without cocoa there would be no chocolate. A long-term, sustainable cocoa yield is important to our success. And we work to have it produced to the quality and ethical standards expected by our business, our customers and our consumers.
In January 2008,our Cadbury team established the Cocoa Partnership in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, local governments, farmers and communities and international non-governmental organizations. This partnership aims to improve the economic, social and environmental conditions of around a million cocoa farmers and their communities in Ghana, India, South East Asia and the Caribbean. Our investments through the partnership will focus on improving farmer incomes, developing communities and building partnerships. The Cocoa Partnership is now active across 100 Ghanaian communities.
Working with CARE – Brazil and Ghana
We support CARE in their mission to fight poverty through two projects working with cocoa farmers. In Brazil, CARE is introducing methods of cocoa production that will substantially increase production for small-scale farmers.
With the support of Kraft Foods in Ghana, CARE will build the agricultural capacity of 2,500 cocoa farmers in the Ashanti region over the next 3 years. These efforts have the potential to improve the livelihoods of tens of thousands of poor families in both countries.
Addressing social conditions in West African cocoa farms
Kraft Foods is involved in substantial efforts to address forced labor and the worst forms of child labor in cocoa farming. While we don't own or control any farms, we remain committed to working with others to address this issue.
Since 2001, we've worked with U.S. government officials, our governments of Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana, and our peer companies. And, in 2002, we helped establish an independent foundation, the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), to oversee and sustain efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor and forced labor on cocoa farms. Supported by individual chocolate and cocoa companies, the ICI is led by a board composed equally of industry and non-governmental organization representatives. Today, ICI is active in hundreds of cocoa growing communities in West Africa and remains the only foundation of its kind.
Click here for more details on our work on this topic with industry and others.