Cargill Supports Certified Cocoa Sourcing in Indonesia with Rp38.8 billion in Farmer Premiums

Jakarta, Indonesia, 22 April 2026 - Cargill supported certified cocoa sourcing in Indonesia with approximately Rp38.8 billion in premium payments to over 7,800 farmers participating in the Rainforest Alliance certification program, marking continued development of its cocoa sourcing program in the country. The payments include around Rp35 billion to farmers in Central Sulawesi and Rp3.8 billion to farmers in East Nusa Tenggara. The premiums, provided in addition to income from cocoa bean sales, are linked to compliance to internationally recognized sustainability certification standards and forms part of the company’s broader sourcing program, which supports farmers through training, certification, and traceability systems in an effort to help improve yields, maintain bean quality, and strengthen access to markets.

“Supporting farmers is essential to building a resilient and transparent cocoa supply chain,” said Brook Chang, Director, Sustainability, Food APAC, Cargill. “By investing in training, certification and premium payments linked to verified sustainability standards, we are helping farmers improve income and productivity while strengthening traceability and supply reliability for our customers and partners.”

In Central Sulawesi, the program supports over 5,600 farmers, including more than 600 women farmers. Between May 2023 and February 2026, approximately 16,000 metric tons of Rainforest Alliance-certified cocoa beans were sourced from farmers in Parigi Moutong, Poso, and North Morowali Regencies. In East Nusa Tenggara, the program engages 2,200 farmers, sourcing approximately 2,000 metric tons of Rainforest Alliance-certified cocoa beans between October 2022 and February 2026 from farmers in Ende, Sikka, East Manggarai, and East Flores Regencies. The certified cocoa beans are sourced into Cargill’s global cocoa supply chain, supporting a range of food and beverage customers.

The premium distribution was commemorated through Farmer Field Days which serve as a platform for knowledge exchange, hands-on learning, and the recognition of high-performing farmers. In Central Sulawesi, the program is organized in Poso and attended by approximately 1,000 farmers. It is implemented in partnership with PT Rayner Anugrah Kemurahan (PT RAK), and led by Ferdy Wongkar, a cocoa trader who holds a Rainforest Alliance certificate and has been working with Cargill since 2018 to support cocoa farmers in meeting certification requirements. Through this partnership, farmers receive training in good agricultural practices (GAPs), ongoing coaching and technical assistance, and access to digital traceability tools. PT RAK also manages six demonstration farms and five nurseries producing up to 30,000 cocoa seedlings to support farm rehabilitation and replanting.

“Through the training and support we receive, we’ve learned how to better manage our farms, from using quality seedlings to applying improved farming techniques. This has helped us increase our yields and improve the quality of our cocoa. With continued guidance and clearer market requirements, farmers are more confident maintaining their farms and strengthening their income over time,” said Ferdy Wongkar, a cocoa trader and Rainforest Alliance certificate holder.

The Rainforest Alliance certification, used by participating farmers in this program, supports transparency across the cocoa supply chain through farm-level record-keeping, traceability, and independent verification. This enables cocoa sourced from participating farmers to meet global market requirements and maintain consistent access to buyers.

“The efforts and dedication of farmers are reflected in the cocoa production process, from crop maintenance to cocoa bean selection, as well as the consistent application of farm management practices. Certification provides farmers with a framework of defined criteria for agricultural practices and traceability, supporting implementation across the supply chain. Within this program, the premium serves as an additional incentive for farmers who participate in the Rainforest Alliance certification program and meet the established requirement,” said Lukmansyah, Team Manager, Cocoa Rainforest Alliance Indonesia.

“This type of collaboration supports efforts to improve farmer livelihoods and strengthen Indonesia’s cocoa sector,” said Mustofa Tohan, SP, MP., Head of the Agriculture and Plantation Office of Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi. “By improving productivity and expanding access to traceable markets, such programs are expected to support higher farmers income while contributing to regional economic development.”

Having operated in Indonesia for more than 50 years, Cargill continues to work with partners to support farmers, strengthen rural communities, and expand traceable cocoa sourcing across cocoa-growing areas. These efforts reflect Cargill’s long-term dedication to Indonesia as an important cocoa-producing origin in the Asia-Pacific region and the global cocoa supply chain.