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Participants in the seminar. Picture: EDNA ADU-SERWAA
Participants in the seminar. Picture: EDNA ADU-SERWAA

3 Districts to host cocoa production seminar

Selected cocoa farming communities in three districts in the country will play host to 15 guests from various companies across the world in order to get them to share ideas on cocoa production.

The three districts are Seniagya, Oguaa and Senchi in the Sekyere-East District. The guests will be hosted for the next two weeks, and will be working on cocoa farms by training cooperative members and community leaders. 

The programme, organised by Mondelez International Cocoa Life Ghana (MICLG), in partnership with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), is to enable the 15 visitors to learn directly from cocoa farmers about the challenges and opportunities in securing sustainable cocoa supply.

The guests involved in the exchange programme are from South Africa, Brazil, Nigeria, United States, France and India.

The other countries are Canada, Australia, Spain, United Kingdom and Japan.

The initiative

The Country Leader of Cocoa Life Mondelez International, Mrs Yaa Peprah Agyeman Amekudzi, said the initiative was part of a call for enhancing of the well-being of cocoa farmers, encouraging volunteerism and sharpening leadership development in the industry.

She said the 2016 programme, which was the third in the series, was centred on enhancing the capacity of cocoa farmers’ cooperative societies which were critical in the cocoa supply chain.

“These cooperatives provide individual cocoa farmers with increased access to market, finance and inputs and serve as a hub for sharing best practices,” she said.

Mrs Amekudzi said it was her hope that when the guests returned to their home countries, they would carry with them fresh perspectives and insights that would inspire other people to understand and partake in the cocoa industry. 

According to her the visitors, also called Joy ambassadors, would offer a wide range of skills in the areas of research, crop development, marketing, manufacturing, finance and law.

The Programme Manager of VSO, Ms Dora Amoah-Bentil, coached the Joy ambassadors on ways to live healthily in the country.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, a member of the ambassadors, Ms Nuria Antoja from the United Kingdom, said she was delighted with the initiative MICLG was undertaking. She said travelling to share experiences with other people was the best way to improve one self.

Background

Mondelez International Cocoa Life Ghana (MICLG) is a cocoa buying company that also manufactures chocolate, biscuits, gum, candy and powdered beverages.

It was established in 2008 in Ghana as a partner to Cadbury Cocoa and was affiliated to Mondelez International Cocoa Life in 2012.

The company operates in 446 cocoa growing communities and is in alliance with 14 governments and non-governmental institutions.

 MICGLG has offices in Cote d’Ivoire, Indonesia, India, Dominican Republic and Brazil.

The company works to achieve sustainable cocoa production by implementing good farming practices in cocoa growing areas in the world.  

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