Hershey Strengthens Its Commitment To Farmers In Côte d’Ivoire With A long-term Partnership Agreement To Source Cocoa 

By
Brand Spur
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ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire, 4 October 2024 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- On the occasion of the 9th edition of the National Cocoa and Chocolate Days (JNCC) held from September 28 to 30, 2024 in Abidjan, Hershey, a leading global chocolate and snacking provider, signed a five-year agreement with nine cocoa-producing cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire. This initiative is part of its “Cocoa For Good” (CFG) strategy and aims to build lasting relationships with farmers in order to accelerate their success while enabling a responsible and resilient supply. 

In blue, Ms. Tricia Brannigan, Vice President and Senior Director of Procurement at Hershey, signing the tripartite agreement alongside Abel Kouadio, Purchasing and Sustainability Manager at Sucden (on the left), and the representative of a partner cooperative (on the right).

Achieved through a memorandum of understanding at the JNCC, the heart of the agreement is a tripartite contract between Hershey, Sucden, and the nine cooperatives. This approach aims to:

  • Partner with farmers to professionalize cocoa farming and improve their profitability
  • Improve household wellbeing and work toward the elimination of child labor
  • Preserve the environment and strengthen farm resilience

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Family photo of Hershey-cooperatives and Sucden, with Minister of Commerce Souleymane Diarrasouba in the front row on the right.

“We are establishing long-term relationships to partner with farmers and co-ops to modernize cocoa, improve profitability and community livelihoods, and eliminate child labor,” said Tricia Brannigan, Vice President, Chief Procurement Officer for Hershey.

Long-term collaboration among the three entities provides stability for farmers and an ability to more directly engage in addressing on-the-farm challenges.

Alignment with the Ivorian national strategy

This agreement aligns with Côte d’Ivoire’s National Strategy for Sustainable Cocoa and meets the requirements of the Coffee and Cocoa Council. This harmonization ensures a coherent and coordinated approach to addressing key challenges in the Ivorian cocoa sector.