The Cadbury Cocoa Partnership welcomes today's announcement from COCOBOD of a nationwide programme of extension services specifically for cocoa farmers. The Cadbury Cocoa Partnership supports the idea of business, governments and non-governments experts working together co-ordinating the efforts of all extension officers in Ghana.

To support the programme, the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership will be funding extension officers in 100 communities where the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership is active with plans to expand further. Extension officers will be working closely with these communities and with partners CARE, VSO and World Vision to help them find ways to improve production on their cocoa farms.

James Boateng, MD, Cadbury Ghana, says: "The ambition of the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership is to create thriving rural communities and the extension officers will deliver much needed support to cocoa farmers. We call on others to support this programme and work with COCOBOD to improve extension services in Ghana."

Tony Fofie, COCOBOD, says: "Cadbury is a vital trade partner and we are delighted that Cadbury is supplementing the extension programme by recruiting extension officers. Additional extension officers will help widen the programme to more communities and bring increased benefits to farmers."

Farmer extension services such as training and improving access to fertilisers and seedlings are critical to helping cocoa growing communities improve yields and livelihoods.

Notes to Editors:

• The Cadbury Cocoa Partnership will be funding 17 extension officers to support COCOBOD’s programme.


• In 2008, the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership was established, committing £45 million into cocoa farming in Ghana, India, South-East Asia and the Caribbean, with the overarching objective of supporting sustainable cocoa communities and improving the lives of half a million cocoa farmers and their families by 2018.


• In Ghana, a community-centred governance structure has been set up in partnership with UNDP, the Government of Ghana, local trade union experts and our partners CARE, VSO and World Vision. Work has begun in 100 Cocoa Partnership communities - working with our partners to write tailored Community Action Plans that enable villages to identify and meet their needs.


• As well as community-focused initiatives, the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership also seeks to support broader national efforts through work with the Government to develop and promote sound environmental practices, reduce deforestation, reduce carbon emissions, provide minimum basic salaries and in particular contribute to the national objective in Ghana to eliminate worst forms of child labour from cocoa production.

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