On May 21, the IDH – Sustainable Trade Initiative participated in the 1st Annual Cocoa Forum held in the auditorium of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Map), in Brasília. At the event, actions were discussed to promote the sustainability, promotion and productivity of Cacao.
The meeting panels addressed bottlenecks to increase quality, costs, productivity beyond the challenges and opportunities of the production chain.
“It was a success! Many relevant industry players are discussing a sustainable growth plan for the entire cocoa and chocolate industry. We have a unique opportunity to plant cocoa agroforestry, generating high income for the producer, recovering degraded areas and billions of foreign currency to the country. The world has an eye on Brazil, the moment is now, “ says the Executive Director of AIPC – National Association of Cocoa Processing Industries, Eduardo Bastos.
The forum was organized by the World Cocoa Foundation, a national non-profit organization that promotes cocoa sustainability.
“The IDH has been working for many years to build solutions and partnerships for the sustainable production of cocoa, and we have always worked in African countries and in some regions of Asia, and with the experience we have accumulated, we believe that we can support the sector in Brazil in the development of sustainable production models, “ says Daniela Mariuzzo , the Executive Director of HDI in Brazil .
Sustainable supply of cocoa
The HDI works in the cocoa sector through programs and initiatives aimed at improving the livelihoods of cocoa farmers, in line with the global demand for sustainable products.
The programs are focused on three areas of innovation:
Productivity – through the training of the farmer through relevant and accessible training initiatives that improve efficiency and access to credit;
Community – gender empowerment and malnutrition control in cocoa communities;
Environment – sustainable land use and zero net deforestation in the region.