World Cocoa Foundation Inc

THE AFRICAN COCOA INITIATIVE (ACI) AND AFRICAN COCOA INITIATIVE PHASE II (ACI II) ARE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS AMONG WCF, THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND WCF MEMBER COMPANIES. INCREASED FARM-LEVEL PRODUCTIVITY IS A DRIVER FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, FOOD SECURITY, ENHANCED QUALITY OF LIFE AND IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. IN RECOGNITION OF THIS, ACI FOCUSES ON FACILITATING PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS AND IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY WHILE ACI II FOCUSES ON POOR QUALITY PLANTING MATERIAL AND LACK OF ACCESS THEREOF, AS WELL AS THE ABSENCE OF RURAL FINANCIAL SERVICES TO FINANCE FARM RENOVATION. THE GOALS OF ACI/ACI II INSTITUTIONALIZE EFFECTIVE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR MODELS TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH AND IMPROVED FOOD SECURITY. IN 2019, ACI II INCORPORATED ACTIVITIES FOR COTE D'IVOIRE SPECIFICALLY THEIR FEMALE MEMBERS BY PROVIDING ACCESS TO SAVINGS, CREDIT AND IMPROVED HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN ESTIMATED 934 VSLA.

GLOBAL COCOA AND CHOCOLATE COMPANIES DONATED TO HELP COCOA FARMERS AND THEIR FAMILIES FIGHT THE SPREADING CORONAVIRUS BY SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY PLANS OF GOVERNMENTS IN WEST AFRICA, ASIA, AND LATIN AMERICA. IT ALSO SUPPORTED HEALTH EFFORTS IN OTHER MAJOR ORIGIN COUNTRIES, INCLUDING BRAZIL, CAMEROON, ECUADOR AND INDONESIA. THE RESOURCES WERE DIRECTED TO LEADING INTERNATIONAL RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING IN LINE WITH PRIORITIES SET BY THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS, INCLUDING CARE, INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES, AND LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF. THE INDUSTRY RESPONSE WAS SPEARHEADED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF CHOCOLATE, BISCUIT AND CONFECTIONERY INDUSTRIES OF EUROPE (CAOBISCO), BDSI, THE EUROPEAN COCOA ASSOCIATION (ECA), THE FEDERATION OF COCOA COMMERCE (FCC) AND WCF.