Cargill has released its2017/2018 Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate Sustainability Report showing the footprint of its commitment to achieving supply chain traceability, empowering cocoa farmers, and tackling pressing issues such as deforestation, using the power of technology.

The report highlights work being done every day by the cocoa processing company to improve the lives of farmers and their communities in five origin countries where the company sources cocoa—Brazil, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Indonesia.

A statement issued in Schiphol, The Netherlands and released by the cocoa processing giants on Tuesday, May 28 and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the President of Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, Harold Poelma emphasized the company’s commitment to creating a sustainable cocoa sector with the welfare of the farmer at the heart of it.

“This Sustainability Report highlights how we are taking action on a range of issues across the cocoa sector, while maintaining a farmer-first approach. 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,” said Harold Poelma.

The company is focused on achieving a more transparent supply chain and implementing scalable solutions through technology and evidence-based approaches. Recent actions have focused on 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.

The report reflects Cargill’s comprehensive approach to sustainability, which considers multiple distinct yet interconnected issues and encourages collaboration between stakeholders to achieve a thriving cocoa sector. 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.

In the past one year, Cargil has been providing Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) training and coaching to over 200,000 cocoa farmers worldwide. In Ghana, over 4,500 farmers have been beneficiaries of one-to-one farmer coaching initiatives, which enable farmers to comply with certification standards, improve productivity and ultimately, their incomes.

About 12,502 farmers have had their farms’ GPS polygon mapped under the global GPS mapping programme where188,065 hectares of forest within its direct cocoa supply chain (in partnership with Global Forest Watch) have been assessed worldwide. This work establishes a baseline, identifying where the cocoa comes from, which areas may be at risk of deforestation and how to mitigate this risk through specific interventions.

Under its Community Wellbeing goal, which seeks to create more resilient cocoa farming communities in areas where the company operates, livelihoods in 108 communities in Ghana have been improved through Cargill’s community-driven approach which focuses on women’s empowerment and strengthening community governing structures.

To scale up the impact of this programme in the sub-region, the company says it has completed full needs assessments in 137 new communities in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. The result of this is that, these communities are currently developing Community Action Plans (CAPs), which enable their leaders to evaluate local needs, identify available resources or areas for development, and define their path forward.

With technology playing a vital role in informing and accelerating Cargill’s impact in cocoa sourcing regions, the company has deployed digital payment means, where farmers are able to receive secure, timely payment for their beans, while Cargill’s digital Cooperative Management System ensures that farmers and farmer organizations are empowered to manage their operations like businesses.

These technology-led initiatives seek to drive greater trust and transparency in the supply chain process, from cocoa bean to chocolate bar. Data from the deployment of GPS polygon mapping and electronic bean tracking solutions informs how Cargill designs and deploys its sustainability programmes, in turn helping customers deliver on consumer demands for ethically sourced products.

“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.

Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. Together with farmers, customers, governments and communities, as well as help people thrive by applying Cargill’s insights and 150 years of experience.

Cargill has 155,000 employees in 70 countries who are committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving the communities where it works.