copal cocoa info - alliance of cocoa producing …. 478.doc · web viewcopal cocoa info a weekly...

INSIDE THIS ISSE: ICCO DAILY COCOA PRICES LONDON (LIFFE) FUTURES

MARKET UPDATE NEW YORK (ICE) FUTURES

MARKET UPDATE FROM THE NEWS MEDIA TIT BITS

o Midway workshop on Swollen-shoot,Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire, 21st – 24th February, 2012.

o Meeting of the International Organizing Committee for the 17th International Cocoa Research Conference, Yaounde, Cameroon, 24th April to 3rd May 2012.

COPAL COCOACOPAL COCOA InfoInfo

A Weekly Newsletter of Cocoa Producers' Alliance

Health and Nutrition The Light and Dark side of Chocolate

Production and Quality Peru's cocoa production to increase in 2012

The Market Ivorian cocoa prices rise as weather hits output Cameroon’s Cocoa Export Price Declines 5.4% in

Week

Processing & Manufacturing

Business & Economy How Big Chocolate plans to save its cocoa supply Cargill to invest nearly €20 Million in Cocoa and

Chocolate Facilities in Germany

Co-operative Cocoa Production in São Tomé and Príncipe

Labour Issues

Environmental Issue

Research & Development

Promotion & Consumption Equatorial Guinea Ministry of Agriculture

Promotes Cocoa Sale in Support of Local Farmers

Others

Do your health a favour, drink Cocoa everyday

‘It’s nature’s miracle food’UP-COMING EVENTSUP-COMING EVENTS IN THISIN THIS

Issue No. 478 6th – 10th February 2012

COCOBOD to sanction buyers

In the News (from Newspapers worldwide)

ICCO Daily Cocoa PricesICCO Daily Price

(SDR/tonne)ICCO Daily price

($US/tonne)London futures

(£/tonne)New York futures

($US/tonne)

6th February 1502.42 2321.6 1489.67 2289.00

7th February 1500.27 2322.49 1488.00 2284.33

8th February 1486.7 2312.36 1485.67 2278.33

9th February 1467.4 2279.11 1469.00 2235.67

10th February 1419.52 2202.25 1425.67 2163.00

Average 1475.00 2288.00 1472.00 2250.00

COCOA PRODUCERS’ ALLIANCE, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMPLEX TAFAWA BALEWA SQUARE, P.O. BOX 1718, LAGOS, NIGERIA. TEL: +234(0)1-263-5574 FAX: +234(0)1-263-5684

Email: [email protected] Website: www.copal-cpa.org2

mailto:[email protected]

International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE)London Futures Market – Summary of Trading Activities

(£ per tone)

Monday 6th February 2012

Month Opening Trans Settle ChangeDaily High

Daily Low Volume

Mar 2012 1516 1472 -30 1516S 1458 6,615May 2012 1530 1491 -27 1530 1474S 5,004Jul 2012 1545 1506 -27 1545S 1489S 2,177Sep 2012 1554 1514 -29 1555S 1500S 1,286Dec 2012 1559 1518 -31 1560S 1507S 1,096Mar 2013 1562 1529 -29 1563S 1522S 839May 2013 1542 1537 -28 1548S 1542S 57Jul 2013 1560 1544 -29 1560 1560 2Sep 2013 1565 1555 -23 1580S 1550S 114Dec 2013 1582 1572 -24 1582 1582 2

Average/Totals 1524 17,192

Tuesday 7th February 2012

Month Opening Trans Settle ChangeDaily High

Daily Low Volume

Mar 2012 1464 1472 0 1480S 1457 4,120May 2012 1483 1488 -3 1495S 1475 3,477Jul 2012 1498 1504 -2 1510S 1490 1,864Sep 2012 1512 1514 0 1520S 1500S 1,610Dec 2012 1516 1516 -2 1522 1503S 1,302Mar 2013 1514 1526 -3 1533S 1514S 690May 2013 1532 1534 -3 1532S 1532S 2Jul 2013 1545 1 0Sep 2013 1557 1552 -3 1558S 1552S 31Dec 2013 1570 -2 0


Wednesday 8th February 2012 Month Opening Trans Settle Change High Low Volume

Mar 2012 1480 1469 -3 1480 1461 3,645May 2012 1495 1486 -2 1495 1477 2,265Jul 2012 1504 1502 -2 1510S 1493S 1,788Sep 2012 1516 1512 -2 1521S 1505 707Dec 2012 1523 1514 -2 1523S 1503S 803Mar 2013 1533 1524 -2 1533S 1512 354May 2013 1529 -5 0Jul 2013 1538 -7 0Sep 2013 1533 -19 0Dec 2013 1550 -20 0




http://www.nybot.com/reports/dmrs/etsDMRs/dmrFutures.asp?dmrMonth=04&dmrDay=11&dmrYear=2007&commodityID=1&commodityType=future






Thursday 9th February 2012 Month Opening Trans Settle Change High Low Volume

Mar 2012 1459 1454 -15 1470S 1427 7,655May 2012 1467 1468 -18 1484 1444S 4,738Jul 2012 1488 1485 -17 1501S 1462 3,962Sep 2012 1505 1494 -18 1511S 1472S 1,341Dec 2012 1510 1497 -17 1510S 1475S 2,078Mar 2013 1520 1507 -17 1520S 1486S 1,322May 2013 1508 1514 -15 1508S 1495S 98Jul 2013 1523 1521 -17 1524S 1523 84Sep 2013 1539 1513 -20 1542S 1515S 54Dec 2013 1550 1530 -20 1550 1550 2


Friday 10th February 2012 Month Opening Trans Settle Change High Low Volume

Mar 2012 1435 1411 -43 1442S 1404 6,388May 2012 1446 1424 -44 1457S 1420 7,084Jul 2012 1468 1442 -43 1474 1439 2,897Sep 2012 1483 1454 -40 1483S 1450S 1,940Dec 2012 1480 1458 -39 1481S 1455S 1,098Mar 2013 1486 1466 -41 1489S 1460 1,029May 2013 1495 1471 -43 1497S 1490 148Jul 2013 1498 1479 -42 1498S 1487S 49Sep 2013 1505 1485 -28 1505S 1490 12Dec 2013 1500 -30 0


Average for the week 1459 3754 3754











New York Board of Trade(New York Futures Market – Summary of Trading Activities)

(US$ per tone)

Monday 6th February 2012 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

Mar 2012 2317 2263 -37 2332 2237 15,273May 2012 2327 2290 -37 2359 2266 11,634Jul 2012 2363 2317 -36 2374 2300 3,334Sep 2012 2389 2338 -34 2389 2325 1,314Dec 2012 2377 2361 -35 2393 2348 1,011Mar 2013 2410 2390 -35 2420 2369 701May 2013 2424 2402 -38 2431 2394 32Jul 2013 2434 2414 -38 2446 2403 126Sep 2013 2445 2421 -41 2454 2410 115Dec 2013 0 2431 -48 0 0 6

Average/Totals 2363 33546

Tuesday 7th February 2012 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

Mar 2012 2260 2273 10 2285 2230 19,649May 2012 2293 2291 1 2303 2257 16,856Jul 2012 2320 2315 -2 2325 2285 5,123Sep 2012 2325 2338 0 2346 2311 1,032Dec 2012 2349 2367 6 2376 2335 2,916Mar 2013 2360 2400 10 2406 2360 1,673May 2013 2398 2408 6 2416 2398 83Jul 2013 2416 2419 5 2426 2409 50Sep 2013 2424 2427 6 2434 2417 40Dec 2013 0 2439 8 0 0 1


Wednesday 8th February 2012 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

Mar 2012 2278 2263 -10 2304 2243 19,623May 2012 2302 2278 -13 2316 2261 17,959Jul 2012 2331 2303 -12 2335 2287 3,027Sep 2012 2352 2325 -13 2358 2306 1,296Dec 2012 2379 2351 -16 2386 2334 792Mar 2013 2410 2377 -23 2410 2360 730May 2013 0 2387 -21 0 0 37Jul 2013 0 2398 -21 0 0 9Sep 2013 0 2408 -19 0 0 11Dec 2013 0 2421 -18 0 0 4


Thursday 9th February 2012










Month Open Price Change High Low VolumeMar 2012 2249 2236 -27 2265 2186 22,111May 2012 2271 2244 -34 2277 2203 18,910Jul 2012 2297 2271 -32 2302 2231 6,680Sep 2012 2319 2292 -33 2319 2251 567Dec 2012 2343 2320 -31 2350 2287 320Mar 2013 2376 2345 -32 2376 2308 508May 2013 2382 2356 -31 2382 2322 96Jul 2013 2392 2368 -30 2392 2389 14Sep 2013 2402 2381 -27 2402 2397 18Dec 2013 0 2394 -27 0 0 2


Friday 10th February 2012 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

Mar 2012 2217 2156 -80 2226 2140 13,265May 2012 2226 2161 -83 2234 2144 16,833Jul 2012 2276 2185 -86 2276 2168 3,685Sep 2012 2273 2208 -84 2273 2191 2,211Dec 2012 2300 2235 -85 2300 2214 686Mar 2013 2300 2257 -88 2305 2234 433May 2013 2283 2273 -83 2284 2265 38Jul 2013 2299 2285 -83 2299 2299 25Sep 2013 0 2302 -79 0 0 11Dec 2013 0 2317 -77 0 0 2


Average for the week 2238 6762 6762











News

The Light and Dark side of ChocolateCare2.comBy Delia QuigleyFebruary 10, 2012

A Brief History

The cocoa tree, Theobroma cacao, is native to the rainforest areas of Central and South America. It was first harvested by the ancient Mayan people around 250-900 A.D. They took the cocoa seeds and fermented, roasted, then ground them into a paste to be mixed with water, chili peppers, and cornmeal, plus a few other ingredients. This made a spicy, bitter drink, which played an important role in both their religious and social lives. Drinking this sacred brew was restricted to

royalty, priests, and certain honored individuals. As part of religious services the priests would make offerings of cocoa seeds to their gods and serve a chocolate drink during sacred ceremonies. (They obviously took their chocolate appreciation as seriously as many people do today.) At that time, sugar was not known to the people of Mesoamerica, so the pungent spices were probably used to balance the bitter taste of the chocolate.

In 1528, along with all the riches purloined from the Aztecs, chocolate sailed across the ocean to Europe, where it was introduced as a foamy, bitter drink named chocolatl. With a bit of innovation the Spanish made the beverage more to their liking by adding sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, eliminating the chilies. In this form it spread from one royal court to the next, enjoyed for both its medicinal qualities and its delicious taste.

Around 1850 the Cadbury and Fry chocolate companies thought to mix cocoa powder with milk, cocoa butter and sugar to form a solid milk chocolate bar. Since the moment of chocolates introduction to Europe, the production and consumption of chocolate has grown to a global scale, with individuals proud to admit they are slaves to a chocolate addiction.

The Dark Side

According to Carol Off, in her book, Bitter Chocolate: Investigating the Dark Side of the World’s Most Seductive Sweet, almost half of the worlds production of cocoa comes from the Ivory Coast in West Africa, with Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria and Brazil rounding out the world’s top five cocoa producers. Harvesting and preparing the beans is labor intensive, and various economic and government forces have driven the price of the bean further and further down. Some cocoa farmers have resorted to using child labor to harvest the bean and satisfy the world’s sweet tooth. Nonetheless, dismissed as a form of junk food and despite its widespread popularity, it is only recently that scientific studies have been done on the benefits of including chocolate in your diet.

Chocolate and Your Heart

Including dark chocolate in your diet may benefit your heart due to phytochemicals found in the cocoa bean. The two positive effects these have on the body are the ability to block arterial damage caused by free radicals, and inhibit platelet aggregation, which could cause a heart attack or stroke. There have also been studies indicating that the flavonoids in cocoa relax the blood vessels, which inhibits an enzyme that causes inflammation.



NEWS

Health and Nutrition


According to a recent study by Holland’s National Institute of Public Health and Environment, “Chocolate contains up to four times the anti-oxidants found in tea.” The study showed that chocolate, most importantly dark chocolate, contains 53.5 mg of powerful anti-oxidants catechins per 100 grams. By contrast, 100 ml of black tea contains a mere 13.9 mg of catechins.

But let’s face it, chocolate lovers, one of the best things about chocolate is that feel-good lift you get after eating a few pieces. Another positive is that dark chocolate, can provide some of the highest amounts of magnesium, after sea vegetables, available in plant form. But with the sweet comes the bitter news, that chocolate is also high in oxalic acid and the caffeine-like substance theobromine, which when taken in excess (emphasis on excess), can inhibit the body’s ability to absorb minerals and result in feelings of anxiety, nervousness, and insomnia. Something to consider when you cannot sleep after consuming a few chocolate truffles before bedtime.

Two researchers at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, California, Daniel Piomelli and Emmanuelle di Tomaso discovered in a 1996 study, that, “chocolate contains pharmacologically active substances that have the same effect on the brain as marijuana, and that these chemicals may be responsible for certain drug-induced psychoses associated with chocolate craving.” The chemical in question is a neurotransmitter known as anandamide, which is produced naturally in the brain, and is also a component of chocolate. Although eating chocolate won’t get you “high”, these particular compounds (and there may be more) provide that “good feeling” you get from eating good, quality chocolate.

It is important that you purchase only the best and beware of inexpensive chocolates blended with wax, and contain very little real cocoa butter. Inexpensive brands are made with “partially hydrogenated palm oil”, preservatives, and high amounts of sugar. Quality chocolate is made with real cocoa butter, the finest organic cocoa beans, minimal sugar and an extensive refining process. And, as always, the best can cost twice as much, but millions of people feel it is well worth the sacrifice.

Peru's cocoa production to increase in 2012Peru this WeekBy Manuel VigoFebruary 7, 2012

Cocoa beans in a cocoa pod (Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture) * Peruvian pisco exports hit over $3 million this year * Peru's exports will continue to rise in 2012 * Trade agreement with Venezuela to include exports of new Peruvian products

Cocoa production in Peru is expected to grow between 15 and 16 percent in 2012, according the country’s Minister of Agriculture.

Production reached 56.5 tons in 2011, and total exports reached $111 million.

According to Andina, cocoa production occupied an area of 80 thousand hectares and directly benefited over 30 thousand families, and 150 thousand indirectly.

The ministry said its main objective for 2012 was to increase sales domestically.

Peru is the second largest producer of organic cocoa, reported Gestión.

Close to 90 percent of cocoa production is exported, prompting the Ministry of Agriculture to declare October 1 ‘Cocoa and Chocolate Day’ in the country, in an effort to raise domestic awareness and consumption.



Production & Quality


The figures were provided during the 9th National Cocoa Meeting, organized by the Peruvian Association of Cocoa Producers, and supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, and the General Directorate of Agricultural Competitiveness.

Ivorian cocoa prices rise as weather hits outputReuters AfricaBy Loucoumane CoulibalyFeb 7, 2012 ABIDJAN Feb 7 (Reuters) - Cocoa farmgate prices rose in Ivory Coast last week as dealers scrambled for supply amid declining output from rain-starved, wind-blown plantations and as smuggling continued into Ghana.

The increases come as the International Cocoa Organization forecasts a 10 percent fall in global cocoa output this year, due largely to lower-than-expected production from Ivory Coast, the world's top grower. "There is less haggling. When the cocoa becomes available it is immediately taken, either by merchants or grinders. Everyone is fighting to get them," said Koffi Kouame who farms near Soubre in Ivory Coast's west.A dearth of rain and heavy winds in recent months have slowed development of cocoa in the West African state, clipping what was initially expected to be a robust October-to-March main crop. The start of some rains in the past two weeks has raised hopes for the smaller light crop.

A kilogram of cocoa in the Soubre region, at the heart of the cocoa belt, averaged about 700 to 750 CFA francs ($1.50), from 675-725 CFA a week before, farmers said.

Prices also rose in the eastern region of Abengourou as competition for scarce supply was heightened by ongoing smuggling into neighbouring Ghana.

"There's no cocoa left on the trees, but the contraband continues because cocoa is moving through from Bettie, Akoupe, Bongouanou and Adzope on its way to Ghana," said Denis Kablan, a farmer in the area.

"The Ghanaians are buying at 850 CFA francs per kilogram at least. The trucks are still delivering," he said.

Ghana's cocoa regulator sets a fixed price for its cocoa crops, while Ivory Coast liberalised more than a decade ago. Ivory Coast launched a reform this month which, if successful, would provide farmers a price floor next season.

Ghana, where official purchases are running ahead of last year's record season, is the only producer in the region showing a year-on-year gain. Authorities have said increases in output are due to improved husbandry techniques.

In the centre-western region of Daloa, which produces a quarter of Ivory Coast's national output, farmers said the average price was stable at 700 CFA francs.

A purchase manager at an Abidjan-based European cocoa exporter told Reuters cocoa prices at the port ranged between 790 and 820 CFA francs/kg, down from 800-870 CFA/kg the previous week. ($1 = 501.5730 CFA francs)

Cameroon’s Cocoa Export Price Declines 5.4% in WeekBloombergBy Pius Lukong Feb 7, 2012 Cameroon’s average cocoa export price at the main port of Douala fell 5.4 percent to 1,076 CFA francs ($2.16) a kilogram (2.2 pounds) during the week to Feb. 6, according to data from the Cocoa and Coffee Board sent in a mobile-phone text message today.



The Market


The following is a table of free-on-board export rates at the port in CFA francs a kilogram. Cameroon is Africa’s fourth- biggest cocoa producer.Feb. 1 1,094Feb. 2 1,055Feb. 3 1,062Feb. 6 1,094Average 1,076

How Big Chocolate plans to save its cocoa supplyFortuneBy Shelley DuBois, writer-reporter February 7, 2012:Hershey is looking to secure its supply chain through a combination of philanthropic efforts aimed at cocoa farmers. Will the efforts actually help these farmers ?

FORTUNE -- A Hershey's Kiss is more complicated than it looks. Most of the cocoa in it and other chocolate candies comes from West Africa, and it makes its way through a long supply chain to get to U.S. factories.

Now more than ever, Fortune 500 companies such as Hershey (HSY) have to take responsibility for every link in that chain. On January 30, Hershey announced plans to put $10 million towards solving child labor problems on West African cocoa farms by 2017. The money should also

help farmers access educational programs and improve their cocoa yield.

Hershey's latest move is part of a larger effort to secure the cocoa supply chain, a campaign that began with the founding of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) in 2000. The WCF joined big chocolate companies -- including Hershey and its competitors Mars, Nestlé, and Kraft (KFT) -- with governments and farmers in cocoa-producing nations.

Big businesses run on growth and profit, two figures that aren't necessarily linked to the well-being of small farmers in foreign countries. But certain characteristics of cocoa may put the chocolate industry in a sweet spot for sustainable development.

What goes into making our cocoa

Sustainable cocoa development requires competing companies to work together to help farmers, no small hurdle. "The global confectionery packaged goods industry is intensely competitive," Hershey said in its 2010 annual report. "Some of our competitors are much larger firms that have greater resources and more substantial international operations."

But there is common ground. All industry players benefit if farmers produce more cocoa. Market demand is growing. As nations like India and China grow wealthier, new members of their burgeoning middle classes have developed an appetite for luxury goods such as coffee and chocolate.

At the same time, companies are keeping an eye on environmental and political threats to cocoa yields. Space to grow cocoa is limited; it only thrives in equatorial climates. About a third of the crop grown every year is trashed because of pests and disease. Unstable political conditions in cocoa-producing nations also adds to the volatility in the market. Cote d'Ivoire, for example, produces over a third of the world's cocoa. In 2011, political unrest surrounding a local election caused the government to cease all exports, which limited the cocoa supply and sent cocoa prices skyward.



Business & Economy

Processing & Manufacturing


Companies need to get on the ground to ensure their supply. Hershey, for example, introduced a program called COCOALINK in 2011. COCOALINK distributes information about climate and pest control via SMS to farmers with cell phones, which most of them already have. "We're starting to see the benefits when you really get to the farmers and give them the best information," says Andrew McCormick, the vice president of public affairs at Hershey. "The preliminary results are that it will double crop yields in a couple of years."Chocolate companies are also working on other kinds of community outreach. In 2009, several companies joined the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation on a $40 million project to boost education and improve farming practices in cocoa-growing regions.

Improving cocoa yields can help communities in other ways. For example, the crop depletes the soil of nutrients, so it grows best on plots with other plants. This means that companies with a vested interest in healthy cocoa need to work with governments and NGOs to encourage sustainable farming in general, not just for cocoa.

Companies also benefit from supporting education in local communities. The average age of cocoa farmers is about fifty, says Bill Guyton, president of the World Cocoa Foundation. In an ideal situation, education programs can ensure that there is a generation of cocoa farmers for these corporate players to work with 20 years from now.

Education goes both ways. "Candidly, we don't have as big of a physical presence in West Africa as we should," says Hershey's McCormick. But part of COCOALINK involves setting up research centers in West Africa. "We're doing a heck of a lot of cocoa research for future product formulations," he says. "We're going to use our farm to get our scientists closer to the farmers and the farm."

Philanthropy vs. taking care of business: room for both?

There's clearly a business case for companies, but how far will these efforts go towards helping farmers? The chocolate industry has an ugly history in West Africa. Around 2000, when the WCF formed, Congress received reports of serious violations of child labor laws on West African cocoa farms. In some cases, third parties were trucking children in to cocoa-producing regions and reports said that many kids were exploited and forced to work without pay. In other cases, cocoa-farming families encouraged children to work with them in the fields, often putting them in dangerous situations: wielding machetes, exposure to pesticides.

It can be difficult for companies alone to enforce child labor laws, but they will have to push to do so. "Companies do need to play a role in the child labor issue and they are," Guyton says. "It's a shared responsibility with the African governments and also the communities where it happens."

But sharing responsibility can make it difficult to enforce standards, especially when governments don't have child labor laws that meet U.S. standards. Big corporate investment could deliver benefits because of increased transparency demands from consumers and NGOs. From a business standpoint, these companies can't afford lawsuits and bad public exposure.

Fortune 500 cocoa-hungry companies stand to be a force for good, says Osita Ogbu, an economics professor at the University of Nigeria and a fellow with the Brookings Africa Growth Initiative. "Anything that improves the productivity of cocoa farmers that increases the rural income, and at the same time addresses environmental scarcity, is welcome," he says.

And successful philanthropy often requires for-profit organizations, NGOs, local people and governments to work together, a path that the chocolate industry is pursuing.

But the real step towards sustainability will come when companies expand their thinking beyond helping farmers and start to manufacture chocolate locally. That's where you'll start to see significant profit margins for West Africans and job creation, says Ogbu. "Is it possible that the sons of daughters of cocoa farmers will not be cocoa farmers but will work in chocolate factories?" That, he says, will mark the beginning of a truly sustainable Kiss.




Cargill to invest nearly €20 Million in Cocoa and Chocolate Facilities in GermanySYS-CON Media (press release)By: PR NewswireFeb. 8, 2012 Cargill has unveiled plans to invest close to €20 million in its newly acquired cocoa and chocolate facilities in Berlin, Germany.

This investment will enable Cargill to upgrade, strengthen and expand its cocoa and chocolate capabilities in Germany in order to offer customers superior choice, quality and market reach.

Cargill plans to upgrade both production sites - based in Lichtenrade and Reinickendorf in Berlin - which will increase the capacities of specific product lines and strengthen its ability to provide a high quality cocoa and chocolate portfolio. These expansions will also enable the efficient integration within Cargill's global network and optimise product flows to customers.

"This investment highlights Cargill's ongoing commitment to helping our customers meet the growing consumer demand for chocolate particularly in Germany and Eastern Europe," said Jos De Loor, Managing Director, Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate. "By upgrading, expanding and integrating these two production sites into our wider cocoa and chocolate network, we are better placed to serve our customers and seamlessly provide them with the best quality product from the most appropriate site."

This investment maintains Cargill's cocoa and chocolate growth strategy in Europe and the company's ability to serve its customers. It will continue to enhance Cargill's leading position in Germany, the largest chocolate market in Europe and will create two state-of-the-art cocoa and chocolate facilities to better serve customers in the bakery, confectionery and ice-cream categories with a broad portfolio of chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa liquor and cocoa butter.

Cargill's cocoa and chocolate facilities in Germany are part of its wider cocoa and chocolate network in Western Europe, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Brazil, Canada and the USA. Cargill has been supplying quality cocoa and chocolate products to customers around the world in the chocolate, confectionery and food industry for over 50 years.

Cargill

Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 142,000 people in 66 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to sharing its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business.

About Cargill in Germany

Cargill has been active in Germany since 1955 and has around 1,600 employees in 12 locations in the country - in Barby, Frankfurt-Höchst, Hamburg (three locations), Klein Schierstedt, Krefeld, Malchin, Mainz, Riesa, Salzgitter and Wittenberge where it has a joint venture producing biodiesel with Agravis Raiffeisen AG.

About Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate

Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate offers the food industry a wide range of both standard and customised cocoa and chocolate ingredients to be used in bakery, confectionery, and dairy applications all over the world. Our product range includes high quality Gerkens® cocoa powders, chocolate, coatings, fillings, cocoa liquors and cocoa butters. With years of experience in technical food expertise Cargill supports its customers in new recipes and new product development.

To secure a good quality and sustainable supply of cocoa beans we have cocoa bean sourcing operations in the cocoa growing countries of the world and processing plants in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Côte d'Ivoire, France,




Germany, Ghana, the Netherlands, UK and the USA - fully dedicated to produce in accordance with the highest food safety standards and resulting in delicious cocoa and chocolate products for our customers

Co-operative Cocoa Production in São Tomé and PríncipeThink Africa PressBy Anna Rabin 9 February 2012.While cocoa exports have been lucrative, the government must diversify its economy to ensure stability

The introduction of co-operative cocoa production in São Tomé and Príncipe has contributed to the revival of the country’s dwindling economy in recent years. Introduced to the islands by the Portuguese in the 19th century, the plantations, known as rocas, were tended to by slaves before being transported to mainland Africa. With a climate conducive to cocoa cultivation, the islands’ economy had remained structured around its ability to export the sought-after raw product.

With its economy based around a single crop, however, São Tomé and Príncipe has been susceptible to the pitfalls associated with an over-reliance on a single commodity. A decrease in production in 1998, coupled with a fall in world cocoa prices, for example, severely weakened the country’s economy, prompting a politician to proclaim “the end of the cocoa industry in São Tomé and Príncipe”.

Introduction of co-operative cocoa production

Acting upon a request from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the French organic chocolate corporation Kaoka undertook an audit of the country’s cocoa industry around the turn of the millennium. The audit came back with promising feedback determining that “the rich genetic origin of São Tomé cocoa varieties could produce superior aromatic cocoa beans that would fetch higher and more stable prices than ordinary cocoa". It was also found that “traditional farming methods could be adapted easily to organic production. By combining organic production and fair trade principles, cocoa farmers could greatly boost their income."

In light of these findings, the Participatory Smallholder Agriculture and Artisanal Fisheries Development Programme (PAPAFPA), under the funding of IFAD, embarked on a three-year project involving 11 communities and 500 farmers in 2000. Under Kaoka’s supervision, local farmers were assisted to “make the transition from producing medium-quality to high-quality cocoa beans that are fermented and dried”.

Encouraged by its success, similar projects have been initiated within the country. Such initiatives have led to exponential growth in the exportation of cocoa from the islands. In 2004, for example, approximately 700 farmers were producing, and selling locally, 50 tons of cocoa beans. By 2010, the impact of the project was evident as close to 2,200 farmers were exporting 600 tons of fair trade certified cocoa. Co-operative cocoa production allowed for a more cost-effective method of production for farmers, while the certification of the cocoa as free trade has meant that it can be sold at a premium price with farmers receiving around double the price for their dry cocoa compared to the unprocessed beans they previously sold locally.

The project has been deemed to be sustainable with Andrea Serpagli, IFAD’s São Tomé and Príncipe Country Programme Manager, explaining “with a project horizon of 2015, the system of organic and fair trade cocoa production, linked in with premium-paying commercial buyers, will become self-sustaining”.

Challenges to the success of cocoa in São Tomé and Príncipe

In 2010, the exportation of cocoa accounted for 94% of the country’s total agricultural export, bringing 100 billion dobras ($5.6 billion) into the country. Although the value of cocoa exports in dobras have increased as a result of “the price and good quality of São Tomé cocoa on the foreign market”, the quantity of cocoa exported actually decreased by 14.5% between 2009 and 2010.




Whilst the introduction of co-operative cocoa production may have increased the mass and price of São Tomé and Príncipe's cocoa exports, the country is still vulnerable to the problems associated with an over-reliance on a single commodity. Reductions in suitable land for growing the plantations, coupled with an increase in the prevalence of drought in recent decades, has only increased the pressure on the success of such crops.

Realising the country’s susceptibility, President Pinto da Costa has promised to diversify the country’s economy. With previous hopes of oil wealth disappearing, the focus of this diversification is tourism. Whilst the success of such plans are not yet known, the push towards diversification rather than continued investment into an agricultural commodity may place Africa’s second smallest country on a successful path.

Think Africa Press welcomes inquiries regarding the republication of its articles. If you would like to republish this or any other article for re-print, syndication or educational purposes, please contact: [email protected]

Equatorial Guinea Ministry of Agriculture Promotes Cocoa Sale in Support of Local FarmersSacramento Bee By Republic of Equatorial GuineaFeb. 8, 2012 MALABO, Equatorial Guinea, -- /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of Equatorial Guinea's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry efforts to support local farmers and increase national production, Minister Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue has launched a cocoa sale in support of farmers throughout the country.

The National Institute of Agricultural Promotion of Equatorial Guinea (INPAGE), under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, has made available 330 tons of cocoa at a discounted price, as an effort to encourage local farmers to increase the cocoa production.

"The cocoa subsidy is an effort to encourage cocoa buyers around the world to purchase Equatorial Guinea cocoa," said Minister Nguema. "The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has already implemented several projects, among them the MAECI, whose objective is for the government to produce a wide variety of agricultural products to supply domestic and international markets, and rely more on national products."

Minister Nguema wants to offer buyers a good quality product at a price they can afford, as well as provide farmers economic benefits in an effort to encourage farmers to increase the productivity of cocoa.

About Equatorial Guinea

The Republic of Equatorial Guinea (La Republica de Guinea Equatorial) is the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa, and one of the smallest nations on the continent. In the late 1990s, American companies helped discover the country's oil and natural gas resources, which only within the last five years began contributing to the global energy supply. Equatorial Guinea is now working to serve as a pillar of stability and security in its region of West Central Africa. The country hosted the 2011 Summit of the African Union. For more information, visit http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com.



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COCOBOD to sanction buyersGhanaWeb6 February 2012

Cocoa Beans

The Ghana Board Cocoa (COCOBOD) says it will sanction Licenced Buying Companies (LBCs) found to have adjusted their weighing scales to cheat cocoa farmers.

“Once we receive a field report from Ghana Standards Board citing any LBCs for adjusting their weighing scales, the internal-marketing-of-cocoa laws will apply,” said Mr. Noah Amenyah,

COCOBOD’s Manager of Public Affairs.

“The LBCs have no right to adjust weighing scales. If the scales develop faults or need to be changed, it is the responsibility of Ghana Standards Board to inspect and recommend,” Amenyah told Business and Financial Times in an interview.

“We will write to the LBCs for a meeting on the issue. We expect the LBCs to behave professionally and not cheat the farmers. ”

Cocoa farmers in the country have persistently complained about unfair weighing scales being used by some LBCs, which tend to favour the buyer over them.

The latest group to register its complaint is the Jomoro Cocoa Farmers Association in the Western Region.

According to the cocoa farmers, since most of them weigh their cocoa beans in their homes before sending the commodity to the various sheds, they are able to detect the disparities on different scales -- which are to their disadvantage.

“This dubious activity is posing a serious threat to the cocoa sector, as some of the farmers are contemplating exploring alternative avenues of selling their produce in order to get the real value for their produce --while others are abandoning cocoa farming entirely,” the farmers said in a statement.

“It is only proper to give back to us our fair share of the proceeds from our toil and labour. Cocoa farming used to be a lucrative venture for people living in rural areas, but the trend has changed,” the statement added.

A recent survey conducted by Cesult Services, a business-development services provider, in 14 communities within Ashanti, Central and the Western Regions shows that there is widespread deliberate maladjustment of the weighing scales used for weighing cocoa.

According to the survey, the weighing scales used by the LBCs are often adjusted to suit the buyer, and thus farmers are not getting value for their produce.

The research estimated that as a result of such unfair practices, cocoa farmers in the areas are losing around GH¢7. 5 million annually.



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