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If you have a sweet tooth, just reading the names Nestlé, Lindt & Sprüngli, Mars Incorporated, Mondelēz International and The Hershey Company will tickle the tastebuds. Between them, the global confectionery producers are responsible for the likes of Mars bars, Lindor, Oreos, Toblerone and KitKat. They are also responsible for something less well-known but far more meaningful – the TogetherCocoa Foundation.
The partnership seeks to accelerate collaboration to strengthen cocoa supply chains, largely to close the living income gap that many cocoa farmers endure. According to Fairtrade, cocoa farming is linked with low income, child labour, gender inequality and deforestation.
“ Up to 58 % of cocoa farmers in Côte d’ Ivoire and Ghana are living in extreme poverty, which means they make less than US $ 2.15 per day,” says the Rainforest Alliance.
In a joint statement, the five makers of sweet treats said:“ TogetherCocoa builds on longstanding efforts to help close the living income gap for cocoafarming households in Côte d’ Ivoire and Ghana, while fostering greater collaboration across the industry to strengthen the resilience of the global cocoa supply chain.
“ We are working closely with the governments of Côte d’ Ivoire and Ghana, our supply-chain partners and stakeholders across the cocoa sector as this initiative evolves.”
sustainabilitymag. com
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