DEERFIELD (Yosefardi) – Mondelez International, the world’s largest chocolate company, announced on Tuesday (May 19) its $400 million Cocoa Life program is fully operational in Indonesia, the world’s third largest cocoa origin and the biggest cocoa origin in Asia.
By the end of 2015, Cocoa Life will be operating in more than 100 Indonesian communities and will have trained 8,000 farmers in agricultural and business skills to help improve cocoa yields, protect the environment and boost farmer incomes.
By 2022, the program plans to train 50,000 farmers and in turn benefit about 200,000 people in local communities, promoting women’s empowerment and education for children.
Cocoa Life is working with farmers in two Indonesian regions – Sulawesi and Sumatra – and along with suppliers Cargill and Olam aims to strengthen the country’s position as a leading producer of high-quality, sustainable cocoa.
And by partnering with the non-governmental organization Save the Children, Cocoa Life will help promote gender equality through leadership and business training for women in cocoa farming communities, as well as agricultural education for youth. Together, farming families will create Community Action Plans to achieve specific development outcomes, such as improving health and nutrition education.