Cargill partners with the Ministry of Water and Forests to protect and restore the Diassioko forest in Côte d’Ivoire

Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire (April 11, 2022): The Ministry of Water and Forests (MINEF) and Cargill signed today a memorandum of understanding for the conservation and restoration of the classified forest of Dassioko. This protocol also ensures the promotion of the sustainable development of cocoa farming in the zones bordering the said forest.

This act confirms Cargill's commitment to MINEF to contribute to the implementation of the national forest policy, while delivering on our own company commitments. It is also in line with the various programs implemented by Cargill in recent years to deliver on the Cocoa & Forests Initiative such as farm level mapping, agroforestry and conservation.

Through this MOU, Cargill has and continue to work closely with MINEF on the implementation of the forest management plan, which includes a community development plan for the people living near the Dassioko classified forest. In addition, other activities such as digital bean tracking and satellite monitoring solutions will be used to identify and mitigate the risks of deforestation.

Farmers play an essential role in protecting the land for future generations, and also benefit as part of their livelihoods. This program will build on existing programs to enable farmers to prosper from sustainable cocoa production.

"The partnership with MINEF will accelerate our joint efforts to eliminate cocoa-related deforestation. It complements the work we are doing under the Cocoa & Forests Initiative and contributes to Côte d'Ivoire's national forestry strategy," commented Lionel Soulard, Cargill's Managing Director in West Africa. "Cargill is committed to working on solutions to support the livelihoods of cocoa farmers, while protecting forests

Forests are critical to mitigating the effects of climate change, while providing important benefits to soil, water and biodiversity. Deforestation is a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions in the cocoa and chocolate supply chain. Protecting forests from conversion to farmland thus helps reduce the greenhouse gas footprint of cocoa in Côte d'Ivoire.

"The partnership with Cargill is important for the national forestry strategy," said Alain Richard Donwahi, Minister of Water and Forests. "Only by working together with the different stakeholders can we achieve harmonious and sustainable development of our forest ecosystems while further developing sustainable cocoa farming, which is one of the most important agribusinesses for the country."

The classified forest of Dassioko is home to the last coastal rainforest in the country. It is also a refuge for the last wild elephants in the region. This initiative is part of Cargill's commitment to transform the cocoa industry and achieve zero deforestation in its cocoa supply chain by 2030.

This initiative is a central component of Cargill’s strategy to address deforestation and. will extend Cargill's commitment to restore other classified forests as part of the implementation of the classified forest preservation and rehabilitation strategy.

About  Cargill

Cargill's 155,000 employees in 70 countries work tirelessly to achieve our goal of feeding the world safely, responsibly and sustainably. Every day, we connect farmers and markets, customers and ingredients, people and animals with the food they need to thrive.

We combine 157 years of experience with new technologies and ideas to be a trusted partner to food, agriculture, finance and industrial customers in more than 125 countries. Side by side, we are building a stronger, more sustainable future for agriculture. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our news center.

About Cargill’s global cocoa and chocolate business

Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate provides high quality cocoa and chocolate more sustainably throughout the world and brings our customers peace of mind, integrity and excitement. With balanced efforts on security of supply, sustainability projects and sensory expertise, we create a wide range of outstanding standardized and custom-made products and services. In addition, we provide our customers with extensive market knowledge. We grow a robust, fair and transparent supply chain, from bean to bar, eager to continuously shape industry standards. To ensure a more sustainable supply of quality cocoa beans, Cargill established our own sourcing and trading operations at origin in Brazil, Ecuador, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Indonesia. Our Cargill Cocoa Promise underlines our commitment to enable farmers and their communities achieve better incomes and living standards. Our team of 4,400 passionate cocoa and chocolate experts work across 57 locations and are part of Cargill’s 155,000 colleagues around the world. For more information, visit cargillcocoachocolate.com.

More information is available at www.cargillcocoachocolate.com