Cadbury has promised to invest $87m over the next decade to support high-quality sustainable cocoa output from around the world. Ghana, as the world’s second largest producer and Cadbury’s biggest supplier, will receive more than 70% of the funds, which will be disbursed by the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership, operating in co-operation with the UNDP and the government of Ghana.
The Cadbury Cocoa Partnership programme will be helping Ghanaian farmers increase their yields and produce top quality beans as well as introducing new sources of rural income through micro-finance, business support for new enterprises, and investing in community-led developments. The investment proposal for Ghana will amount to $1.18m this year, rising to almost $6m a year by 2010. Ghana’s President Kufuor welcomed the Cadbury initiative but called on the company to also invest in processing cocoa beans, thereby adding value to one of Ghana’s most important exports. “Come and process the beans here in Ghana, so we know the partnership is not limited to the farmer alone,” he requested.
