Rural education. Watch a video of how we are helping improve education in cocoa communities.  Supporting communities in partnership with CARE. In partnership with CARE we are supporting local communities in Côte d'Ivoire and helping boost educational opportunities and farmer incomes in Ghana Cargill partners to support cocoa farmers in West Africa. Cargill joins with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help boost the incomes of cocoa farmers in West Africa

To strengthen cocoa growing communities, we work together with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local governments and local people to support activities that make a real and lasting difference.

Many of our partnerships focus on improving access to education and healthcare.  We believe these are vital to helping these rural communities, where many people still live in poverty and do not have access to these basic services.

We are honored that our efforts to help improve livelihoods for cocoa farmers and their families in Africa, Asia and South America earned us the U.S. Chamber Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) 2010 International Community Service award.  The award recognizes contributions to positive economic and social development in a country outside the United States.

Partnering to make a difference to cocoa communities

We recognize the value and importance of working together with other organizations to help support cocoa farmers and their families. That’s why are working with international and local organizations to make a difference to the lives of people in these rural communities.

In September 2010, we announced a three-year $5 million commitment to support sustainable cocoa in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. This includes a partnership with CARE to expand an existing range of community based education and healthcare. The activities are helping improve educational opportunities for at least 60,000 children, as well as improving the livelihoods of families in 130 cocoa producing communities in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. The initiative is also promoting better agricultural practices and helping address the worst forms of child labor.

In 2010, Cargill joined other leading cocoa and chocolate industry companies to partner with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers in West Africa. The West Africa Cocoa Livelihoods Program is a five-year, $40 million effort to help approximately 200,000 farmers in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Liberia. In addition to $23 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, more than $17 million cash and in-kind support is being provided by private sector companies. This includes a significant cash and in-kind contribution from Cargill.

See a map of where we are supporting cocoa growing communities around the world.

Helping educate children in rural communities

We are funding initiatives in cocoa farming communities around the world to build and renovate schools. These much needed facilities are enabling local children to have a better opportunity to receive a basic education.

In Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon we have set-up 100 Family Farm schools and built or renovated 40 schools that are teaching children and young people aged between 14 and 25. The program, which is in partnership with the European Institute for Co-Operation and Development (IECD), is taking an innovative, dual approach by providing education and practical farming skills to help these young people improve their employment prospects. The three-year program is training 2,000 students and 600 young adults every year. Its success has also been marked by the creation of center to train graduates to become teachers and help reach more young people.

In Brazil, as part of the fura bolo program, we have partnered with local authorities to improve literacy levels in children under 10. This project has reached more than 54,000 students, and a similar project in the Ilheus area is also improving literacy amongst 250 young people and adults. In the Bahla area, our employees are supporting 22 schools to convert unused plots of land into vegetable gardens. These areas are then used to help children learn how to plant, grow, harvest and eat vegetable. So far, the project has reached over 8,000 students.

In Vietnam, we built a new school for more than 200 children in the Tan Hung-Long An province and provided teaching materials and scholarships. 

Supporting health and well-being in local communities

We recognise the importance of healthy and supportive local communities, which is why we are investing in efforts to provide assistance where we can.

In Indonesia, we have (so far) renovated four orphanages and one nursing home on the island of Sulawesi.  Our employees have provided the support in maintaining the buildings, supplying food and undertaking essential activities to ensure the facilities are run smoothly.

In Soubre, Cote d’Ivoire we have funded the renovation of a children’s home. New dormitories, beds, furnishings are being supplied as well as food, healthcare and tuition fees. The new home is allowing 42 children to enjoy a safer and healthier environment in which to grow up.

Together with Mercy Ships, we opened a new maternity wing and operating room in Ghana. Since it opened in 2008 it has provided pre- and postnatal care to women and infants from Tema and the 20 surrounding communities.