World Cocoa Foundation

World Cocoa Foundation to Boost Farm Safety on West African Cocoa Farms

May 24, 2007

VIENNA, VA- May 23, 2007 ““ The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) today announced an expansion of its work to educate cocoa farmers on safe, responsible labor practices. Building upon current programs that have proven successful, these new efforts will help children on West African cocoa farms by reducing their exposure to potentially hazardous working conditions.

This new effort will expand the WCF’s “Healthy Communities” initiative, announced in 2006. A multi-year partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), “Healthy Communities” will help more than 150,000 farming families earn more for their cocoa crop, while at the same time tackling important issues such as responsible labor practices. The Sustainable Tree Crops Program (STCP) is implementing the “Healthy Communities” effort in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Nigeria and Liberia.

“In West Africa, cocoa is grown on small family farms, where much of the family takes part in the farming,” said Bill Guyton, president, World Cocoa Foundation. “This new effort will help farming families protect their children from injury while working on the farm, while at the same time sharing farm techniques that can reduce the need for extra labor.”

To share knowledge of safe, responsible labor practices ““ and to help cocoa farmers earn more for their crop ““ “Healthy Communities” organizes “Farmer Field Schools” in cocoa communities throughout West Africa. Classes provide farmers with hands-on instruction to improve farming techniques and grow cocoa responsibly.

The Farmer Field Schools teaching approach has proven effective, raising farm family incomes while at the same time reducing children’s involvement in potentially unsafe work on cocoa farms.

This new effort is supported by contributions from Barry Callebaut, the Hershey Company, Kraft Foods and Mars Incorporated. Specifically, it will include:

The launch of 20 new farmer field schools in Ghana, in the Bekwa and Konongo cocoa districts;

The development and distribution of videos on farm safety and child labor issues ““ for use in group training sessions in Ghana and the Ivory Coast;

The development of visual educational materials such as posters, flip-charts and illustrated guides, that provide instruction on farm safety issues and will be distributed throughout Ghana and the Ivory Coast;

A study, in cooperation with the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana and other West African research organizations, to identify specific labor challenges and means of improving labor safety while reducing the overall need for manual labor.

“Helping cocoa farmers starts with listening to them, and understanding the challenges they face,” said Stephan Weise, regional program manager, Sustainable Tree Crops Program. “This effort is about partnership, education and, ultimately empowerment ““ with and for the millions of West Africans who depend upon cocoa farming.”

Work will begin immediately, and will coincide with the five-year timeline for the “Healthy Communities” initiative.

Established in 2000, the World Cocoa Foundation plays a leading role in strengthening the partnership between industry and cocoa farmers. With nearly 60 member companies, the WCF supports a range of economic, social and environmental programs in cocoa communities in Africa, Asia, Central America and South America. World Cocoa Foundation programs focus on raising farm incomes, encouraging responsible, sustainable cocoa growing and strengthening communities.

For more information about the World Cocoa Foundation, or to find out how you can help support cocoa farmers, contact Bill Guyton or Robert Peck at (703) 790-5012 or via e-mail at [email protected]. or [email protected]. Also, visit the WCF online at: www.WorldCocoaFoundation.org.