Barry Callebaut and Ghana intensify cooperation on a sustainable cocoa farming model
Barry Callebaut and the Ghana Cocoa Board sign letter of intent to work collaboratively on a model for sustainable cocoa farming.
Barry Callebaut and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) signed a letter of intent June 4, to intensify the cooperation on sustainable cocoa farming. The purpose of the letter of intent is for both signatories to work collaboratively towards the design and validation of a sustainable cocoa farming model, with a specific focus on the clearing and replanting of cocoa trees infected with the swollen-shoot virus (CSSV) disease. Also, the cooperation will include agroforestry, more specifically income diversification for cocoa farmers and the planting of shade trees. In addition, Barry Callebaut and the COCOBOD will work together on making cocoa cultivation more attractive to women cocoa farmers and young cocoa farmers. Finally, both parties will intensify their cooperation on community-led engagement towards the eradication of the worst forms of child labor.
"This letter of intent is an important step towards the design of a new model for sustainable cocoa farming. Combining the expertise and resources on the ground of both the COCOBOD and Barry Callebaut will lead to more impactful interventions and accelerate the progress towards a sustainable cocoa farming sector in Ghana, the second largest cocoa producer in the world," said Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of Barry Callebaut.