World Cocoa Foundation Increases Support for Cocoa Farm Families, Cocoa Research in Cote d'Ivoire

ZURICH, Switzerland, Oct. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- At its semiannual Partnership Meeting & Roundtable Sessions here,  the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) has announced increased funding and program support for cocoa-growing communities in Cote d'Ivoire through the Cocoa Community Development Fund, valued at more than $1 million. WCF members supporting programs to be carried out by the fund include Archer Daniels Midland Cocoa; Cargill; Godiva Chocolatier, Inc., Mars, Incorporated; Noble Resources Cocoa Division; Petra Foods; and Royal Duyvis Wiener B.V. More than 12,000 Ivorian cocoa farmers, families and communities will benefit from these programs over the next three years through no fewer than 10 Community Challenge Grants, 200 Family Support Scholarships, and two Cocoa Research Exchanges.

WCF President Bill Guyton said, "This new fund supports an even greater number of cocoa farmers and communities in Cote d'Ivoire. I am particularly excited about the increased resources dedicated to empowering women cocoa farmers, as they are a vital part of healthy, thriving cocoa households."

The WCF Cocoa Community Development Fund builds on more than 10 years of investments that WCF has made in Cote d'Ivoire to support cocoa communities, rural cocoa farmers, women, and youth to improve their farming activities and standard of living. These programs have a strong focus on supporting women cocoa farmers and correspond to the terms of an agreement with the Ivorian government that was signed by Guyton and Cote d'Ivoire First Lady Dominique Ouattara in Washington, D.C., on July 19, 2012.

Specific activities of the WCF Cocoa Community Development Fund include:

• Community Challenge Grants encourage innovative, community-based, solutions to existing issues by challenging applicants to identify resources, services, or small infrastructure projects that strengthen and empower cocoa communities.
• Cocoa Family Scholarships expand business opportunities for women in Cote d'Ivoire and encourage entrepreneurship. These scholarships are used to simultaneously support youth education and keep children in school while enhancing the mother's income-generation potential.
• Cocoa Research Exchanges support cocoa scientists through partnerships between WCF and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service via the Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program Global Cocoa Initiative and the Cochran Fellowship Program, Global Cocoa Initiative. During their Fellowships, participants are mentored by American scientists to further cocoa-related research that supports sustainable cocoa production.

The World Cocoa Foundation is the leading non-profit organization in cocoa sustainability worldwide and represents more than 80% of the global cocoa market. For more information, visit www.worldcocoa.org.

About the World Cocoa Foundation: The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) is an international membership foundation that promotes a sustainable cocoa economy by providing cocoa farmers with the tools they need to grow more and better cocoa, market it successfully, and make greater profits. WCF's membership includes cocoa and chocolate manufacturers, processors, supply chain managers, and other companies worldwide, representing more than 80 percent of the global cocoa market.