The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of Phase Two of WCF’s Cocoa Livelihood Programme (CLP).

The WCF’s CLP programme started in 2009, and is operating in the four cocoa-producing countries of West Africa, namely, Ghana, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria.

The total funding of the programme for its 10-year lifespan, which is scheduled to end in February, 2018 is $70 million.

The regional programme is being managed by WCF, with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Walmart Foundation, the Dutch Sustainable Initiative IDH, and 15 chocolate and cocoa companies that are members of WCF.

In Ghana, the programme involves Mondelez International, Noble Resources and The Hershey Company.

Its objectives are to increase farm-level cocoa productivity to 1,000kg/ha, to improve service delivery efficiency including access to planting materials, fertilizer and agrochemicals, and improve farmer resiliency through the production of food crops.

The CLP will afford cocoa-producing households in Ghana the opportunity to produce food crops, alongside cocoa, thereby accessing important economic, nutritional and environmental benefits.

Mr Fiifi Kwetey, Minister, Minister of Food and Agriculture, said through the MoU, WCF, which had a long-standing relationship with the Ghana Cocoa Board, was expanding its partnership base with government institutions, to include a focus on food crops.

He said the agreement would cover activities t expected to reach more than 60,000 cocoa-growing households in Ghana.

He said the programme would create a mechanism for knowledge exchange, and utilization of expertise of MoFA’s technical experts dedicated to CLP Two activities in the area of food crops.

The Minister observed that the programme would link MoFA’s food crop technical experts to WCF member companies in Ghana, provide technical assistance in curricula development, and training activities for food crops, and provide technical assistance in the conduct of assessments of training.

Mr Kwetey said it would also provide training in relevant techniques and technologies in selected food crops such as plantain and cassava.

Mrs Suzanne Ngo-Eyok, Director CLP Two, said the programme had already successfully mobilized chocolate and cocoa companies to actively engage with the cocoa farmers and increase direct investment in selected cocoa farming communities.

The WCF is a non-profit international organization, representing more than 110 members that comprise an estimated 85 per cent cocoa trade and chocolate production.