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Day 15

5 minutes of training for cocoa farmers in Indonesia

Increase your income through training Increase your income through training

5 minutes of training for cocoa farmers in Indonesia
Day 15
Planting and caring for cocoa trees properly and harvesting high-quality cocoa beans

Do you already have a chocolate Santa Claus at home? Last Christmas season, around 169 million of them were produced in Germany alone (EHI Retail Institute GmbH, 2023). In total, almost 13 kg of chocolate are produced per capita in Germany each year (Federal Statistical Office, 2022). That would be roughly the amount of chocolate from two and a half bars per person per week. In order to be able to produce chocolate at all, cocoa beans are needed. The cocoa beans for production have to be imported from other countries. Some of these cocoa beans come from Indonesia. Although the Ivory Coast and Ghana are by far the largest producers, cocoa cultivation in Indonesia is particularly promising (Fountain, AC & Hütz-Adams, F., 2022). By growing cocoa trees in the shade of native fast-growing light wood species, in the so-called agroforestry system, small farmers can increase income for themselves and their families and at the same time make a contribution to the climate.

Planting and caring for cocoa trees properly and harvesting high-quality cocoa beans
Nina from Indonesia presents her favorite project
need
Further training for cocoa farmers in Borneo
activity
Local trainers provide cocoa farmers with knowledge on growing cocoa in the agroforestry system
Measurable performance
Number of smallholder farmers trained
Result
50 cocoa farmers were trained to grow cocoa in the agroforestry system
Systemically relevant impact
Improved income for cocoa farmers and their families as well as protection and enhancement of the land used through agroforestry practices
background

Cocoa is produced almost exclusively by small farmers (Bermudez et al., 2022). The main growing area in Indonesia is currently Sulawesi. Cocoa cultivation in Kalimantan on the island of Borneo is not yet very widespread, although the cocoa from the area has already convinced some chocolate manufacturers with its good taste and high quality. Due to a lack of structures, farmers in rural areas of Borneo are not always able to finance a living for themselves and their families by selling cocoa beans. The majority of the cocoa value chain is managed by a few large cocoa traders and processors (Gayi, SK & Tsowou, K., 2017). Such "chocolate giants", among other things, put price pressure on small farmers that they cannot maintain. Overall, this leads to poor working conditions in the cocoa sector and further deforestation in order to generate more income through more land for cocoa (BMZ 2019). German chocolate consumption is not uninvolved in this (GIZ 2023), for example, almost 10 kg were consumed per capita in 2022 (Tagesspiegel 2023). Strengthening individual cocoa farmers can lead to a better position on the market and thus to more income. The first step towards this is to train small farmers. The more knowledge they have about growing and caring for cocoa trees and harvesting and processing cocoa fruits, the higher the quality of the cocoa beans. High-quality cocoa beans also generate a better income.

Barito Timur & Gunung Mas in Kalimantan on Borneo
Day 15 Day 15
The good deed

With this good deed, you enable cocoa farmers in Borneo to take part in so-called Farmer Field Schools. The training courses impart knowledge and technical skills to increase cocoa production and quality. Environmental problems are also addressed in the training courses and cocoa farmers are encouraged to grow cocoa in an environmentally friendly way. Other content includes cocoa harvesting and processing, market demand and quality assurance methods. Practical exercises such as planting seedlings, caring for trees and ecological pest control are also part of the training. Participants also receive a manual on agroforestry practice (a combination of forestry and agriculture) that summarizes all the information. By implementing what they have learned, cocoa farmers in rural regions in Borneo should be able to benefit from the high demand for cocoa, especially from Europe, and improve their quality of life - without destroying the environment.

AboutIndonesia
Jakarta
Jakarta
Capital city
275,501,339
275,501,339
Population
4,788.0
4,788.0
Gross domestic product per capita per year
0.705
0.705
Human Development Index (Human Development Index)

Cocoa ceremonies on the island of Bali are very popular, especially among tourists. In spiritual events, hot raw cocoa is drunk, accompanied by ritual dances, prayers and singing.
About the organization and further information

organization

Fairventures Worldwide FVW gGmbH

website

fairventures.org/

Further links