Hershey Company is investing more than $500 million on a new cocoa sustainability strategy that the company says will ensure that its supply of cocoa will be plentiful for generations to come. The program, Cocoa for Good, will have Hershey investing in collaborative programs and partnerships with stakeholders to encourage “agroforestry,” with agricultural methods that include growing cocoa in more productive shaded areas.
Past collaborative initiatives have proven that such agroforestry methods work: the company offered training and support to cocoa farmers in Ghana, for example, and saw increasing yields of cocoa year after year, according to the company.
The program will focus on West Africa where about 70% of the world’s cocoa is grown, Hershey says. In addition to addressing deforestation and agroforestry, Hershey will focus investments on other pressing issues facing cocoa-growing communities in the area: boosting household incomes in cocoa growing communities, increasing family access to good nutrition, elimination of child labor, and increasing youth access to education opportunities. This focus will have a ripple effect on the cocoa supply chain by enabling children to reach their potential in school and become adults who thrive in their jobs, the company says.
Companies engaged in environmental responsibility cite partnerships over and over again as a necessity to affecting change. Hershey is no different, stating that A multi-stakeholder, collaborative approach is needed to find solutions to the environmental, economic and social challenges facing cocoa-growing communities. “The Hershey Company has been partnering with key stakeholders in the cocoa sector for more than 100 years,” says Susanna Zhu, Hershey chief procurement officer. “Under Cocoa For Good, we continue to work toward a future where there’s a long-term, sustainable cocoa supply, the natural environment is protected, and we are creating better lives for everyone. It’s good for the cocoa farmers, families, communities, chocolate consumers and the success of our business.”
The Vice President of the Republic of Côte D’Ivoire, Daniel Kablan Duncan, agrees, saying “...public-private partnerships are critical to improving the lives of people living in cocoa communities and protecting our precious natural resources.”
There’s a strong business case for Hershey, as a snacking company, to invest in the sustainability of its cocoa supply, says Jeff King, senior director of sustainability, CSR and social innovation. “The return on that investment is not only ensuring that a core ingredient of our snacks is sustainably grown and abundant for generations, but we are also able to deliver on one of our founding principles as a company: to bring about positive societal change and make life better for the communities where we operate,” he told Environmental Leader. “That’s what Cocoa for Good is all about. It’s doing what makes sense for our business, and what is needed to help safeguard the health, well-being and success of people in cocoa-growing communities.”
