Sustainable cocoa programme
Barry Callebaut, manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products, has trained about 1000 farmers from five cooperatives in the central and western regions of Cameroon in sustainable cocoa production, enabling them to become Rainforest Alliance Certified in just 10 months. This marks the first time that cocoa farmer cooperatives and not buying groups in Cameroon have achieved independently verified Rainforest Alliance certification. The group administrators received their official certificates, which formalised their efforts.
On 6 June 6 2013 Barry Callebaut rewarded the cooperatives and farmers for their successful efforts. Farmers and cooperative management representatives as well as local area officials and delegates from government ministries participated in the ceremony hosted by SIC Cacaos, Barry Callebaut’s subsidiary in Cameroon.
Barry Callebaut’s local training team comprising 15 people provides ongoing training and support to the participating farmers. Aurelie Oberti, project coordinator Cocoa Horizons, explains: “The certification standard includes economic, social and environmental criteria, and training is a vital step towards achieving sustainable cocoa production in Cameroon. We’re pleased to collaborate with Rainforest Alliance trainers in this process and to help the pioneering cooperatives to reach their ambitious sustainability goals.”
In addition to training the farmers in sustainable agricultural practices, Barry Callebaut helped the farmer groups to achieve cooperative status. “The aim is to strengthen the capacity of the farmer organisations and ultimately increase the number of farmers benefiting from the sustainability initiative. We are proud that the former farmer groups are now formally organized as certified cooperatives,” Oberti says.
