Barry Callebaut AG, Zürich, is intensifying its cooperation with Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana on a sustainable cocoa farming model. Through the signing of letters of intent, the Swiss concern will kick off a pilot project to assess the contributors to sustainable cocoa farming in the world's two largest cocoa producing countries.

Barry Callebaut will work with Côte d'Ivoire on an agroforestry model for cocoa farming. The world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products and the Conseil Café Cacao (CCC) of Côte d’Ivoire signed a letter of intent, to work collaboratively towards the design and validation of a sustainable cocoa farming model, with a specific focus on the clearing and replanting of cocoa trees infected with the swollen-shoot virus (CSSV) disease. Also, the cooperation will include agroforestry, more specifically income diversification for cocoa farmers and the planting of shade trees. 

In addition, the company and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) signed a letter of intent, to intensify the cooperation on sustainable cocoa farming. The purpose of the letter of intent is for both signatories to work collaboratively towards the design and validation of a sustainable cocoa farming model, with a specific focus on the clearing and replanting of cocoa trees infected with the swollen-shoot virus (CSSV) disease. Also, the cooperation will include agroforestry, more specifically income diversification for cocoa farmers and the planting of shade trees.

Furthermore, the organisations will work together on making cocoa cultivation more attractive to women cocoa farmers and young cocoa farmers. Finally, both parties will intensify their cooperation on community led engagement towards the eradication of the worst forms of child labor.