OREANDA-NEWS. December 03, 2015. A Cargill Cocoa Promise project addressing access to affordable funding for cocoa farmer cooperatives in C?te d’Ivoire, the first of its kind in the cocoa sector, has been named winner of the FiE 2015 Best Sustainability Innovation Award in Paris, France yesterday.

Provided in partnership with the Ivorian bank SIB and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the initiative provides affordable loans for trucks for cocoa farmer cooperatives in C?te d’Ivoire. The funding is available to graduates of the Cargill Coop Academy, a dedicated educational program for managers of cocoa farmer cooperatives. The main benefit is that cocoa farmers can transport their cocoa beans to market more easily and reliably. Forty-three cooperatives are participating in the initiative and 78 new trucks have been leased in the first year alone.

Cooperatives play an important role in empowering farmers and strengthening communities, as well as fulfilling important social roles such as operating school transport or an ambulance service. In C?te d’Ivoire, Cargill is working with over 80,000 farmers in 100 partner cooperatives.

The FiE Awards judging panel explained “environmental strategies alone are no longer exceptional but the norm. Actions that extend beyond the environmental and incorporate social, cultural and economic initiatives embody the true scope of sustainability.”

On receiving the award, Niklas Andersson, marketing and communications director, Europe Middle East and Africa, for Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business said: “The creation of such an initiative by Cargill represents the real sense of trust and partnership we have with cocoa farmer cooperatives, and as the first such initiative of its kind is a source of real pride for us. We believe our sustainability programs, delivered as part of the Cargill Cocoa Promise, are on a scale and depth unequalled by others in the cocoa industry. Over 10 years’ experience on the ground, a genuine focus on impact and outcomes, transparency in how these are measured, and our emphasis on long-term partnerships are real differentiators that set what we do apart from others in the sector.”

 

 

###

About Cargill

Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. Together with farmers, customers, governments and communities, we help people thrive by applying our insights and nearly 150 years of experience. We have 155,000 employees in 68 countries who are committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving the communities where we live and work. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

About Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate

Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate offers its customers quality products and services they trust to help them thrive, today and in the future. We consistently deliver a wide range of products—including cocoa powder, liquor and butter, chocolates, fillings and coatings—to help customers stand out from the crowd. Cargill offers peace of mind in the short and long-term; day-to-day we work to the highest safety standards and offer insight-driven price risk management and sustainable cocoa services. For recipe development and optimization, we have seven specialized Application Centers around the world. Our insights on market and consumer trends, combined with our innovation support and consistent performance, make us a proactive partner in all major consumer markets. Cargill customers also benefit from our bean sourcing and research capabilities in key origin countries, including Brazil, Cameroon, Ghana, C?te d’Ivoire and Indonesia. With a team of more than 3,000 passionate cocoa and chocolate experts in 35 locations, connected to 152,000 Cargill employees around the globe, we provide unique knowledge and proactive services across five continents, built on a foundation of 150 years of experience. Visit http://www.cargillcocoachocolate.com/.