Thirty-one companies have submitted their draft action plans to WCF to be aggregated and shared with the governments of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire in December, with the aim to publish them by early Feb. Their action plans identify actions they will carry out over the next 5 years (2018-2022) to fulfill their commitments across the three pillars in the Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) Frameworks. As part of this process, the CFI is also identifying activities which companies can collaborate on at a pre-competitive level in order to drive efficiency, impact and scale. The company action plans are aligned with the priorities set out in the National Implementation Plans.
Actions that many companies are prioritizing in their action plans fulfill their commitments across the three pillars in the Cocoa & Forests Initiative.
Under forest protection and restoration examples include:
- Farm mapping within their direct supply chains. Through mapping the location and the boundaries of the farms, companies can ensure that they are sourcing cocoa from legal farms situated outside of National Parks and protected areas. They are doing this in partnership with the governments to make sure that we are using the most up to date boundary data. See example Cargill
- Conducting deforestation risk assessments of the areas surrounding the farms – This is a geospatial risk assessment combining satellite imagery and other geographical information to identify where deforestation is or is likely to occur based on land cover and recent land cover changes. With the farm maps, companies can determine if any farms in their sourcing are at risk of encroaching upon surrounding forest areas. This allows them to prioritize activities and ensure they are engaging effectively with farmers on the ground.
- Promotion of cocoa agroforestry for restoration– companies are working with farmers to establish tree nurseries and incorporate beneficial tree species in their cocoa farms to provide necessary shade for cocoa production, generate additional income sources (e.g. fruit, timber), provide environmental benefits and increased canopy cover, and promote biodiversity conservation, among other benefits. Companies are promoting cocoa agroforestry throughout their sourcing areas – in the rural zones and off reserves as well as in the forest classes. See example Chocolats Halba
- Developing financial mechanisms for forest protection and restoration. See example of payment for ecosystem services with Mondelez
Under productivity and livelihoods examples include:
- Companies are working with farmers to “grow more cocoa on less land” in the rural zones and off reserves through farmer training and the provision of improved planting material
- Promoting cocoa agroforestry with a focus on sustainable cocoa production and diversified income generations, in addition to the restoration benefits listed above. See example Cemoi
Under social inclusion examples include:
- Sensitizing communities about forest conservation and working with communities to develop forest restoration and protection programs.