Boosting best cocoa farming practices through farmer field-schools

More than 120 cocoa farmers belonging to the Aboanidua Cocoa Farmers’ group in the Western Region have benefitted from a capacity building programme initiated by Solidaridad West Africa, a non-governmental organisation that has been collaborating with stakeholders in the cocoa industry to implement sustainable-cocoa programmnes. 

The initiative, ‘Farmer Field School’, being implemented under the Cargill-UTZ certification project is aimed at helping cocoa farmer base group members to acquire skills on cocoa certification to improve their yields, and to become sustainable and professional in their farming activities.

The project is being implemented in two regions covering 10 districts and reaching 5,000 farmers in a 100 communities.  It is also targetted at educating farmers on the various good agronomic practices (GAP), personal health, and personal development

Farmers have increased their yields by more than 30 percent per year and improved the quality of the beans produced. Farmers were also taught record-keeping, labour rights issues, and sustainable farming practices.

Presently, cocoa buyers and consumers of chocolate around the world are increasingly demanding traceable cocoa that is certified as grown in a sustainable manner. As a result, a lot of cocoa- producing countries are grabbing the opportunities therein. 

Cocoa certification demands that a farmer’s social, environmental and economic activities fall in line with best labour practices, in exchange for receiving a premium price on the produce.

The standards will also push farmers to develop better drying and fermentation practices.

The Cargill sustainable cocoa programme ensures a better life for cocoa farmers and their families and strengthens the cocoa supply-chain for the future, exercising responsible environmental stewardship.

The programme increases farmer incomes through efficient cocoa production. It offers tangible customer solutions which enable them to join Cargill in the journey toward a sustainable future for cocoa.

Internal Control Systems (ICS) officer of the project, Yahya Zakana, said the productivity of all farmers has been recorded and is well-documented within the ICS to ensure farmers comply with the certification standards. 

The ICS is at the heart of certification programme as it documents and records the practices and activities of the farmers. 

“Based on the data gathered in the ICS farmers can be audited to ascertain that they have changed their practices and are adhering to the certification standard.

“The ICS is located at the Licence Buying Company level at district level. It also documents the training the farmers have gone through,” Zakana explained.

The session, conducted by Philip Kwame Kyei, a leading cocoa farmer and a district member of the Aboanidua Cocoa Farmers group, took his peer farmers through best cocoa growing practices.

Mr. Kyei interacted with farmers about general maintenance, the cocoa trees, their appearance, the leaves, flowers and developing fruit-pods. 

This is targetted at ensuring farmers will be able to analyse and observe best tree-crop growing methods and agronomic practices in the field.

“Cocoa farmers are motivated to meet at these demonstration events every week to learn various aspects of cocoa farming, especially the best agronomic practices as many have no training in cocoa farming,” Kyei said.

“Our training covers critical issues on how farmers can protect the environment by keeping a buffer between the water-body and farm to preserve water-bodies. They are also trained in the correct handling and use of chemicals, and as well the correct disposal of chemical containers,” said Kyei.

Social and safety issues are also discussed with farmers at the field farmer school, where labour rights issues and how farmers should relate with the labour force are clarified; and using child labour in the farms is discouraged. 

Project farmers also benefit from extension support provided through the Ghana Cocoa Board’s, Cocoa Extension Public Private Partnership (CEPPP).