Cargill coaches farmers to boost cocoa yields through farm development plans
Cargill is expanding its one-on-one coaching program for cocoa farmers, leading to increased yields and farm productivity. The model is now being implemented in Cameroon and Ghana.
Agricultural giant Cargill is implementing a one-on-one coaching model for cocoa farmers to professionalize their operations and improve productivity.
The company found that personalized, on-farm coaching is more effective at promoting the adoption of good agricultural practices than traditional group training. This approach was piloted in Côte d'Ivoire starting in 2016 and has since benefited 62,000 farmers.
Under the program, trained farmers act as coaches for approximately 60 other farmers annually. They develop individualized farm development plans and monitor progress. Farmers who adopted the recommended actions in 2016 saw an average yield increase of 49% in the first year.
Cargill has rolled out the same coaching model to Cameroon and plans to launch it in Ghana in 2017. The initiative aims to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers by increasing farm profitability and offering income diversification opportunities.