Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business has established its licensed buying company (LBC) following the successful application for a license from the Ghanaian Cocoa Board (Cocobod).
The LBC is now fully operational and Cargill has purchased its first consignment of beans directly from cocoa farmers in Ghana, with around 30,000 farmers already registered with the LBC.
By directly sourcing the beans, the company can diversify the way it sources sustainable beans and rolls out the Cargill Cocoa Promise more effectively to better serve its customers.
“Developing a direct sourcing capability in the world’s second largest cocoa producing country means we will be better placed to meet growing demand for sustainable, certified cocoa”, said Lionel Soulard, MD West-Africa, Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate.
“We are confident this business model will add value at every level particularly for farmers who, as a result of working directly with us, will make a better living out of cocoa farming, and we are really proud of this development.”
Cargill has been operating a cocoa processing plant in Ghana since 2008.
The move to direct sourcing of cocoa via its 60 strong team in the country reflects the company’s commitment to growing the business in Ghana.
It will also enable a more direct approach to supporting more productive, profitable and sustainable farms.
The new purchasing model will be fully sustainable and fully certified.
By operating its own LBC, Cargill will implement high standards of safety, integrity and quality throughout the supply chain in Ghana.
