We are proud to announce that the SEM Foundation has been supporting a new initiative in Ivory Coast since June 2024. The project will have a sustainable impact on the lives of small-scale cocoa farmers.
Ivory Coast: the world’s largest cocoa producer
Ivory Coast is the world’s largest producer of cocoa. Nevertheless, small-scale cocoa farmers are struggling due to last year’s poor harvest, caused in part by climate change. Low incomes mean they can hardly invest in their land to increase resilience to climate change.
Goal of the project
Stichting Progreso, an NGO that focuses on professionalizing coffee and cocoa cooperatives in Africa, Latin America and Asia, will carry out various activities with the support of the SEM Foundation to sustainably improve the income position of these farmers.
Main activities
Training of cooperatives: Improving internal organization and financial management so that they can provide better services to farmers, access financing and realize better prices.
Innovative mushroom project: Growing mushrooms from cocoa husks, now considered a waste product. With the right techniques, these husks can be used to grow mushrooms, generating additional income for farmers.
Climate resilient agriculture: Support to grow climate resilient crops to secure their future income. Roll out reforestation projects around the plantations to increase their resilience to diseases and extreme weather conditions.
Rejuvenation of cocoa trees: Implementation of pruning techniques to rejuvenate cocoa trees. Younger trees provide better cocoa quality, higher yields and less risk of disease.
We are excited about this collaboration and the opportunities it offers to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers in Côte d’Ivoire. We look forward to sharing the progress of this project with you and seeing the positive changes it will bring.
Working together, we’ll make a difference!
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