Kraft’s Cocoa Partnership Hopes To Boost Cocoa Production In Dominican Republic

Kraft Foods announced it is extending its Cocoa Partnership – established by Cadbury to boost coca farming in Ghana, India, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean –  to the Dominican Republic. The five-year initiative with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will try to sustainably increase the yield and quality of Dominican cocoa, while improving farmer livelihoods and communities. About 10,000 small-scale cocoa farmers of the Conacado cooperative will benefit from training in farming techniques, post-harvest practices and supplemental income opportunities, Kraft said. The Cocoa Partnership has committed 45 million pounds Sterling (approximately $70 million) to the program.