Barry Callebaut leads cocoa farmer training program in joint initiative with the Rainforest Alliance to help protect Taï National Park in Côte d'Ivoire
(Thomson Reuters ONE) -
Barry Callebaut /
Barry Callebaut leads cocoa farmer training program in joint initiative with the
Rainforest Alliance to help protect Taï National Park in Côte d'Ivoire
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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Working with communities to promote biodiversity conservation
* Initiative brings together experts and rural cocoa farming communities to
expand use of sustainable agriculture and conserve biodiversity
* Parties aim to develop long-term solutions for preventing further
degradation of rainforest and fragile ecosystems near Taï National Park
* Barry Callebaut is training farmer groups neighboring the park in
Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) standards and on improving farm
productivity
Zurich, Switzerland, April 3, 2013 - Barry Callebaut, the world's leading
manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products, is participating in a
joint sustainability initiative with the Rainforest Alliance, other experts in
development and environmental and wildlife protection, and the national office
of parks and reserves to protect the Taï National Park in southwest Côte
d'Ivoire.
The park is one of the last major remnants of the vast primary tropical forest
that once spanned across present-day Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra
Leone, and is the largest island of forest remaining in West Africa, according
to the UNESCO World Heritage Center. It is noted for its population of
endangered pygmy hippopotamus, 11 species of monkeys and 1,300 species of higher
plants.
As part of a comprehensive multi-stakeholder initiative to conserve the forest's
biodiversity, cocoa farmers in the rural areas bordering the park are being
offered training in sustainable cocoa production. Barry Callebaut, which has
worked with cocoa farmers and cooperatives in Côte d'Ivoire since 2005, is
conducting the training program that will enable approximately 2,000 farmers
from five cooperatives to comply with the environmental, social and economic
criteria defined by the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) standards and
become Rainforest Alliance Certified(TM).
In cooperation with the Rainforest Alliance, Barry Callebaut is also
establishing nurseries for indigenous shade trees, launching a tree planting
program, creating nurseries for cocoa seedlings, and setting up demonstration
plots to showcase good agricultural practices.
The training program, part of Barry Callebaut's Cocoa Horizons global cocoa
sustainability initiative, comprises agricultural training for farmers and
business and administrative skills training for the management personnel of the
respective cooperatives. Agricultural training takes place in Farmer Field
Schools (FFS), a methodology that facilitates adult learning on good
agricultural practices and environmental protection through participant
interaction and demonstrations. In addition to business training, the
cooperatives also receive support in setting up internal management systems
required to qualify for Rainforest Alliance independent certification. Barry
Callebaut's in-house certification team, based in Côte d'Ivoire, is conducting
the training of lead farmers alongside qualified lead trainers accredited by the
Rainforest Alliance.
"We are very encouraged by the strong interest shown by farmers participating in
the training activities, which underscores our shared commitment to sustainable
cocoa production and the protection of the rich diversity of wildlife and plant
species unique to this important geographic region," said Anke Massart, Project
Manager Cocoa Horizons in Côte d'Ivoire.
One of the auditors of the program, Mélanie Bayo-Sirima, said, "I am proud as an
Ivorian to be personally involved in the protection of those landscapes
essential for the ecological balance of the Western Region. I have no doubt a
rational management of natural resources by involving communities can also
improve the standard of living of cocoa farmers and their families."
In addition to the Rainforest Alliance and Barry Callebaut, the other parties in
the joint initiative are Centre d'Etudes, Formations, Conseils, Audits (CEFCA);
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ); Wild
Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF); and the Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves
(OIPR). CEFCA, a not-for-profit nongovernmental environmental organization, has
implemented several Rainforest Alliance technical assistance projects in Côte
d'Ivoire. GIZ has promoted sustainable projects and worked with the park's
management body since the mid-1990s. The Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, created in
2000, aims to protect the key chimpanzee population in West Africa. OIPR has
been responsible for the sustainable management of the park since 2002.
"We are pleased to be working with this distinguished and committed group of
experts to help find long-term solutions for preventing further degradation to
areas in and near the park and to expand the use of sustainable agriculture
through a focus on productivity improvements and biodiversity conservation,"
said Nicholas Camu, Group Manager Cocoa Horizons at Barry Callebaut.
Barry Callebaut's Cocoa Horizons initiative, announced in March 2012, is a 10-
year CHF 40 million program to boost farm productivity, increase cocoa quality
and improve family livelihoods in a sustainable way. Barry Callebaut is focusing
first on large producer countries including Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia,
Cameroon and Brazil, and aims to expand the initiative to other cocoa producing
countries with high development potential. Cocoa Horizons builds on Barry
Callebaut's proven Quality Partner Program (QPP) with cocoa farmer cooperatives,
launched in Cote d'Ivoire in 2005 and replicated in Cameroon in 2010.
***
Barry Callebaut (www.barry-callebaut.com/):
With annual sales of about CHF 4.8 billion (EUR 4.0 billion / USD 5.2 billion)
for fiscal year 2011/12, Zurich-based Barry Callebaut is the world's leading
manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate - from the cocoa bean to the
finest chocolate product. Barry Callebaut is present in 30 countries, operates
around 45 production facilities and employs a diverse and dedicated workforce of
about 6,000 people. Barry Callebaut serves the entire food industry focusing on
industrial food manufacturers, artisans and professional users of chocolate
(such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs or bakers), the latter with its two global
brands Callebaut(®) and Cacao Barry(®). Barry Callebaut is the global leader in
cocoa and chocolate innovations and provides a comprehensive range of services
in the fields of product development, processing, training and marketing. Cost
leadership is another important reason why global as well as local food
manufacturers work together with Barry Callebaut. Through its broad range of
sustainability initiatives and research activities, the company works with
farmers, farmer organizations and other partners to help ensure future supplies
of cocoa and improve farmer livelihoods.
***
Contacts
for investors and financial analysts: for the media:
Evelyn Nassar Raphael Wermuth
Head of Investor Relations Head of Media Relations
Barry Callebaut AG Barry Callebaut AG
Phone: +41 43 204 04 23 Phone: +41 43 204 04 58
evelyn_nassar(at)barry-callebaut.com raphael_wermuth(at)barry-callebaut.com
The complete news release and various images can be downloaded from the
following links:
Map Tai National Park (Source: African Natural Heritage website, 2013):
http://hugin.info/100441/R/1688666/554565.jpg
Farmer Field School_Photo 3:
http://hugin.info/100441/R/1688666/554571.jpg
Map Tai National Park (Source: Google Maps, 2013):
http://hugin.info/100441/R/1688666/554563.jpg
Farmer Field School_Photo 2:
http://hugin.info/100441/R/1688666/554568.jpg
Farmer Field School_Photo 1:
http://hugin.info/100441/R/1688666/554566.jpg
Farmer Field School_Photo 4:
http://hugin.info/100441/R/1688666/554572.jpg
News release (PDF):
http://hugin.info/100441/R/1688666/554068.pdf
This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of
Thomson Reuters clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that:
(i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and
other applicable laws; and
(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and
originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Barry Callebaut via Thomson Reuters ONE
[HUG#1688666]
Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
Datum: 03.04.2013 - 10:00 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 245423
Anzahl Zeichen: 9766
contact information:
Town:
Zurich
Kategorie:
Business News
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