NETHERLANDS – The global agribusiness company, Cargill has released its 2017/18 sustainability report, highlighting its commitment to achieving a more transparent cocoa and chocolate supply chain.

The company is working to implement scalable solutions through technology and evidence-based approaches while improving the lives of farmers and communities they operate in.

The efforts involve driving lasting solutions across the entire supply chains in five origin countries where the company sources cocoa—Brazil, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia.

These include building the capacity of local farmers, improving traceability in the supply chain, increasing access to training and educational resources for cocoa households, professionalizing farming and protecting natural resources.

“This sustainability report highlights how we are taking action on a range of issues across the cocoa sector, while maintaining a farmer-first approach,” said Harold Poelma, president of Cargill’s cocoa & chocolate business.

“It is vital that everything we do creates lasting benefits for cocoa farmers, their families and communities, and empowers them to own their futures and achieve success as small businesses while protecting our planet.”

Cargill says integration of technology across the supply chain drive greater trust and transparency from cocoa bean to chocolate bar.

It utilizes digital payments, enabling farmers receive secure, timely payment for their beans while Cargill’s digital Cooperative Management System empowers farmers to manage their operations like businesses.

The report highlights progress made on the company’s five Sustainability Goals, aligned to the UN Sustainability Development Goals and adopted by Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate in 2017.

These sustainability goals are part of the Cargill Cocoa Promise: the company’s corporate commitment to improving the lives of cocoa farmers and their communities.

Key milestones over the past year include:

  • Adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) training and coaching to over 200,000 cocoa farmers worldwide including Cote d’Ivoire.
  • GPS polygon mapping of more than 110,000 farmers and the assessment of 188,065 hectares of forest within Cargill’s direct cocoa supply chain (in partnership with Global Forest Watch).
  • Completed full needs assessments in 137 new communities in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, through Community Action Plans (CAPs).

“It is our belief that the journey towards sustainable business practices is far greater than the actions or interests of any one company.

“By partnering up with other organizations and playing to our individual strengths we can achieve fundamental and lasting transformation, together,” added Mr Poelma.