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CNFA-Implemented Cocoa Project To Link Memorandum Of Understanding With Fine Chocolate Industry Association
CNFA, FCIA to join efforts to boost the quality of Côte d’Ivoire cocoa and increase farmer incomes.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—On June 30, Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA), an international agricultural development organization, announced that the Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) and the Maximizing Opportunities in Cocoa Activity (MOCA) will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at FCIA’s annual meeting on June 30, 2018.
MOCA, a project funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food for Progress program and implemented by CNFA, provides capacity-building, training, and other support services to Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa producers, cooperatives, and exporters with the aim of improving the supply of high-quality cacao beans and improving farm incomes.
FCIA, whose members focus on the production of premium chocolate and encourage utilizing the best practices in cocoa production and processing, will collaborate with MOCA to support the project through its membership activities.
“This collaboration enhances the individual efforts of MOCA and FCIA to improve the efficiency of the cocoa value chain in Côte d’Ivoire,” said CNFA President and CEO Sylvain Roy. “FCIA’s counsel will help farmers and businesses refine their production to meet the needs of the fine chocolate market—and MOCA’s training and guidance will improve the crop quality, processing, post-harvest handling, and market linkages necessary to produce those high-quality products and get them to market.”
“This memorandum of understanding establishes a strong mutual bond between two parties who share a keen interest in cultivating the finest, high-quality cocoa,” said FCIA President Clark Guittard. “Through our new relationship with MOCA, our organization gains an informed, on-the-ground presence in the world’s leading cocoa-producing region.
The main thrust of the three-year MOCA program is to increase the productivity and efficiency of stakeholders in Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa value chain in order to boost the quality of crops, expand cocoa trade, and ultimately improve the incomes and livelihoods of cocoa farmers.
“This MOU will provide added impetus to the most important goal of the MOCA initiative,” Roy said. “And that is to generate better incomes for the 600,000 smallholder farmers and families in Côte d’Ivoire who produce more than a third of the world’s cocoa supply—but live on less than $2 a day.”
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About CNFA: Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA), an international agricultural development organization, specializes in designing sustainable, market-led agricultural initiatives. CNFA builds strong local and global partnerships, incorporates innovative approaches in its programs, and fosters inclusive development to offer enhanced opportunities to under-served groups. Since 1985, CNFA has managed more than $600 million in donor-funded agriculture development programs and has worked in 44 countries across the world in Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and South and Central Asia.
About FCIA: The Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) is the only organization focused 100% on supporting fine chocolate professionals. It promotes the artistry and craftsmanship of the chocolate professional focused on producing superior products made from premium chocolate and natural ingredients. It believes in using best practices in cacao processing and chocolate production; and transparent labeling and marketing practices. FCIA’s mission is to promote quality, innovations, ethical sourcing, and best practices in the fine chocolate industry, from tree to bar and bonbon. This can be achieved by communicating with consumers, educating chocolate professionals, helping define standards, and building partnerships to strengthen the value chain while preserving fine cacao varieties.