… Implementation Of Innovative Cocoa Sustainability Programme Underway

. As Zowasel, Barry Callebaut Support Smallholder Farmers

COCOA Farmers may soon heave a sigh a relief, as efforts are underway to implement innovative cocoa s u s t a i n a b i l i t y programmes to support smallholder farmers across the country.

The gesture, courtesy of Zowasel, an agricultural technology company leveraging data science and technology to improve productivity, sustainability, and profitability for farmers across value chains, in partnership with Barry Callebaut – producers of high- quality chocolate and cocoa products, covers commercial agreements and the Cocoa Horizons sustainability programme.

According to experts, despite the growing global demand for Nigerian cocoa, smallholder farmers in Nigeria are struggling to sustain and profit from the plantation, due to old cocoa plantations, declining yields, poor farming practices, and volatile cocoa prices that have worsened farming households’ food insecurity and poverty.

The partnership, aims to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers, their communities, and the planet by promoting sustainable farming practices, gender and nutrition programmes, entrepreneurial farming, and landscape protection.

Speaking on the partnership, the Managing Director of Barry Callebaut Nigeria,

Adriaan Verbeke, said sustainability is at the heart of their business model and values. “We are proud to partner with Zowasel, a disruptive company in supply chain sustainability innovations, to promote professional and sustainable cocoa farming across Nigeria. This innovative partnership will help drive the implementation and impact of our cocoa sustainability initiatives.

The company has committed that by 2025, its products will use 100 per cent sustainable “carbon and forestpositive” ingredients, which means the products retain more carbon than released. The company is committed to sustainable cocoa production to help ensure continuous cocoa supplies and improve farmers’ livelihoods.