Cargill is investing over a $113 million to expand its cocoa processing sites in Yopougon, Ivory Coast and Tema, Ghana.
A $100 million investment will increase production capacity at Yopougon by 50 percent, creating 85 full-time local jobs and hundreds of indirect jobs, while a $13 million investment increases capacity at the Tema site in Ghana by 20 percent.
At the same time, Cargill is also investing $12.3 million over the next three years to expand sustainability and supply chain traceability programs in the two countries. This is a combination of a $7.7 million investment in Ivory Coast, and $3.4 million in Ghana in programs that will enhance the safety and well-being of children and families in cocoa farming areas and provide a more transparent, traceable cocoa supply chain for customers and consumers.
The Ivory Coast investment
- Expanding of the Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System with the International Cocoa Initiative, bringing the total number of cooperatives and farmers in Ivory Coast from 53 cooperatives and 46,800 farmers to 130 cooperatives and 120,000 farmers in 2022.
- Collaborating with CARE to set-up Community Development Committees and develop Community Action Plans in 23 Ivorian communities. The effort will strengthen the financial inclusion and entrepreneurship skills of women in cocoa farming households and support Cargill’s implementation of the Child Labour Monitoring & Remediation System.
- Launching of a new program with Save the Children to support and lift up youth at risk of child labor.
- Expanding the partnership with the International Finance Corporation to launch the Coop Academy 2.0. The program will provide management, operational and digital training for cooperative leaders and female entrepreneurs to 140 partner cooperatives.
- Collaborating with nEmpow’Her to strengthen cooperative support to women’s groups, including work to build group leadership and help professionalize and scale up their activities.
- Constructing of six new schools, which upon completion will be handed over to the Ministry of Education.
Cargill will build six new schools in Ghana
Cargill’s $3.4 million investment in sustainability and social programs in Ghana will go towards expanded or new programs with partners to create a more sustainable cocoa sector. These will include:
- Implementation of Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS) with the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) to include 8,000 farmers and their families in 56 communities by September 2020.
- Collaboration with CARE in 156 cocoa growing communities. The effort will strengthen community governance and improve dietary diversity through homestead gardens, nutrition education programming and cooking demonstrations.
- An $800,000 investment to build six new schools and school infrastructure in key communities in Ghana.