Commitment to help farmers in building sustainable cocoa source
Sustainability in the cocoa industry is centered on the cocoa farmers, mainly smallholder farmers in developing countries such as Africa and Asia. Such farmers face challenges such as ageing trees, pests, diseases and depleted soils. A key success factor to sustainable cocoa farming is adopting good agricultural and business practices as they result in better yields and income for the farmers. Types of sustainable agricultural practices include the following:
| Sustainable agricultural practice | Objective |
|---|---|
| Soil conservation | Prevent soil from becoming chemically altered by acidification or other chemical soil contamination through the use of appropriate chemicals |
| Fertiliser application | Prevent loss of soil fertility through applying adequate and right-quality fertilisers to supplement the missing nutrients in the soil |
| Harvesting storage | Ensure harvesting is performed regularly to prevent pods from becoming over-ripe as they are more likely to become infected with disease |
| Storage | Ensure cocoa beans packaged in clean bags that are sufficiently strong and properly sealed to prevent deterioration |
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We are committed to sustainable cocoa farming to ensure the long-term supply of fine flavour cocoa and higher yields for cocoa farmers which will in turn support our Group’s long-term sustainability. A strong commitment to sustainable cocoa farming also allows us to respond to the ever-increasing customers’ demand for sustainable cocoa products.
In keeping with our strong commitment to sustainable cocoa, we have teamed up with our business partners and promote the following programs in Indonesia:
Set up cocoa support centers to equip farmers with professional knowledge
We supported the setup of 5 cocoa support centers (“CSC”) in selected districts of Indonesia to train farmers and equip them with professional knowledge on good agricultural practices. Under this program, the employees of CSC pay regular visits to farmers’ fields and provide inputs on improving the farms’ productivity.
Share good agricultural practices through lead farmer programme
In selected districts of Indonesia, we established a lead farmer programme that provides local leading farmers with seedlings, fertilisers and nursery facilities to encourage the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. The programme is aimed at developing demonstration farms and providing a mechanism for mutual support and exchange of ideas among farmers.