News

Callebaut expands Cocoa Horizons

12 Jul 2016

Barry Callebaut has announced the further expansion of its signature Cocoa Horizons sustainability programme in Ghana during a special event attended by local business, community and government leaders.

Barry Callebaut has announced the further expansion of its signature Cocoa Horizons sustainability programme in Ghana during a special event attended by local business, community and government leaders. The Cocoa Horizons programme will be implemented through its wholly owned subsidiary, Nyonkopa Cocoa Buying.The company said it aims to include 22,000 farmers in Ghana in the programme by 2017

The programme is aimed at improving the livelihoods of smallholder cocoa farmers through farm and community level activities. It is part of the company’s initiatives to help ensure that cocoa is grown in a sustainable way, generating better income for farmers and safeguarding the environment. The programme will be expanded in Ghana and additional origin countries in the coming years.

Under Cocoa Horizons, participants are trained on good agricultural practices (GAP), good environmental practices (GEP) and good social practices (GSP), using Farmer Field Schools and individual coaching as well as practical demonstrations. The programme also includes initiatives to empower women, protect children and provide basic education and health.

In Ghana, 7,500 farmers, representing 16 cocoa districts, are currently enrolled in the Cocoa Horizons Programme. That number is expected to exceed 22,000 farmers by the 2016/2017 crop year. This year, 650,000 Ghana Cedis ($161,692) will be paid out in premiums to farmers enrolled in the programme. The project team responsible for the delivery and implementation of Cocoa Horizons consists of community-based lead farmers, and representatives from Barry Callebaut’s subsidiary Nyonkopa including technical officers and a project manager.

“Barry Callebaut is committed to the realization of a sustainable cocoa sector in Ghana and other origin countries,” said Nicko Debenham, VP Global Cocoa Sustainability for Barry Callebaut and MD of Biolands, Barry Callebaut’s direct sourcing arm. “Leveraging our presence with Nyonkopa, we can provide access to sustainability training in the areas of Productivity Enhancement, Community Development and Farm Services to an even greater number of cocoa farmers in Ghana.”

Establishing the next generation of farmers is a critical factor in preventing a cocoa supply shortage in years to come, Barry Callebaut believes. Cocoa Horizons also strives to reinforce cocoa farming as an attractive and profitable business for young, entrepreneurial-minded farmers in Ghana.