Barry Callebaut, Rainforest Alliance initiate largest sustainable cocoa program in Cameroon

Barry Callebaut has trained approximately 1,000 farmers from five cooperatives in the central and western regions of Cameroon in sustainable cocoa production, enabling them to become Rainforest AllianceCertifiedTM in just 10 months. This marks the first time that cocoa farmer cooperatives and not buying groups in Cameroon have achieved the independently verified Rainforest Alliancecertification. The group administrators received their official certificates which formalized their efforts.

On June 6, 2013 Barry Callebaut rewarded the cooperatives and farmers for their successful efforts. Farmers and cooperative management representatives as well as local area officials and delegates from government ministries participated in the ceremony hosted by SIC Cacaos, Barry Callebaut’s subsidiary in Cameroon. Barry Callebaut’s local training team comprising 15 people provides ongoing training and support to the participating farmers. In addition to training the farmers in sustainable agricultural practices, Barry Callebaut helped the farmer groups to achieve cooperative status.

www.barry-callebaut.com