The Hershey Company Launches Program to Restore Cocoa Growing in Southern Mexico
Goal: Improve the livelihoods of small scale
cocoa farmers and return productive cocoa growing to the ancient
birthplace of domestic cocoa
MEXICO CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 20, 2012--
For the past decade, Mexico’s cocoa crop has been nearly decimated –
largely by the spread of Moniliasis, also known as frosty pod rot, a
disease that attacks the fruit of the cacao tree, causing its cocoa
beans to become unusable. The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) and cocoa
supplier Agroindustrias Unidas de Cacao SA de CV (AMCO), a member of the
Ecom Cocoa Group, have launched the Mexico Cocoa Project, a
10-year, $2.8 million initiative to reintroduce cocoa growing in
southern Mexico and help restore the country’s beleaguered cocoa farming
industry. The program will improve the livelihoods of more than 1,000
cocoa farmers and their families in the short term and put in place the
foundation to improve the livelihoods of many more cocoa farmers and
their families in the near future.
During the next decade, Hershey and Ecom will provide training in farm
renovation and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and will distribute
disease-tolerant cocoa trees to renew 1,000 hectares of farmland. The
program intends to quadruple family incomes and contribute to the
worldwide supply of sustainable cocoa.
“Hershey has built a business in Mexico over the last 40 years that
spans chocolate, flavored milk and more recently sugar confectionary,
particularly spicy candy segment. Today we are very proud to initiate
this project that will improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers in
Mexico by providing them methods and better processes that will enable
them to increase productivity of their farms, resulting in higher yields
and family incomes,” said Jorge Eduardo Pena, Vice President and General
Manager, Hershey Mexico. “We are proud that Mexico is where
domestication of cocoa started and eager to use Hershey’s 100 years of
cocoa expertise to help restore Mexico’s heritage as an important
producer of delicious, high-quality cocoa.”
The Mexico Cocoa Project is one of The Hershey Company’s numerous cocoa
sustainability programs around the world and part of the company’s deep
commitment to corporate social responsibility and the environment. The
program also addresses an ongoing concern of the cocoa industry, which
is supporting the long-term sustainability of the world’s cocoa supply
while contributing to cocoa sustainability for Mexico.
Hershey and Ecom will coordinate the program with several government
agencies in Mexico and a local NGO.
“We have been active in the improvement of farms in Mexico in coffee
through the provision of new hybrid varieties, and now, we are very
excited at the opportunity to expand the activity to assist Mexican
cocoa farmers. We are very happy to have Hershey as our partner in this
ambitious project to revitalize cocoa farming,” said Tonathiu Acevedo,
Director of AMCO. “We will begin immediately to build nurseries,
leveraging our partner’s knowledge of cocoa tree stock, so we can start
distributing trees across the Southern Mexico region as soon as
possible.”
Cocoa was first domesticated and used as a food as early as 600 B.C. in
the tropical lowlands of South Central Mexico by an ancient tribe called
the Olmecs. They believed the seeds they called kakawa or cacao
gave them health and power. Cocoa use also traces back more than 2,000
years to the ancient Mesoamerica cultures of the Mayans and Aztecs, who
considered it a “food of the gods.”
About The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is the largest producer of quality
chocolate in North America and a global leader in chocolate and sugar
confectionery. Headquartered in Hershey, Pa., The Hershey Company has
operations throughout the world and approximately 14,000 employees. With
revenues of more than $6 billion, Hershey offers confectionery products
under more than 25 brand names, including such iconic brands as Hershey's,
Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, Hershey's Bliss,
Hershey's Special Dark, Kit Kat, Twizzlers, Jolly
Rancher and Ice Breakers. Hershey also offers premium and
artisan chocolate products under such brands as Scharffen Berger
and Dagoba through the Artisan Confections Company, a wholly
owned subsidiary. The company is focused on growing its presence in key
international markets such as China and Mexico while continuing to build
its competitive advantage in the United States and Canada.
For more than 100 years, The Hershey Company has been a leader in making
a positive difference in the communities where its employees live, work
and do business. Corporate Social Responsibility is an integral part of
the company’s global business strategy, which includes goals and
priorities focused on fair and ethical business dealings, environmental
stewardship, fostering a desirable workplace for employees, and
positively impacting society and local communities. Milton Hershey
School, established in 1909 by the company's founder and administered by
Hershey Trust Company, provides a quality education, housing, and
medical care at no cost to children in social and financial need.
Students of Milton Hershey School are direct beneficiaries of The
Hershey Company's success.
About Ecom Cocoa Group
Agroindustrias Unidas de Cacao SA de CV is the leading processor of
cocoa in Mexico and a member of the Ecom Cocoa Group, part of Ecom
Agroindustrial Corp. Ltd. Ecom Agroindustrial is a global commodity
originating and processing company specializing in coffee, cotton and
cocoa, with local presence in major producing and consuming countries.
Ecom is one of the largest merchants of coffee, cotton and cocoa
globally and is leader in sustainable agriculture and traceable supply
chain management.
Source: The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jeff
Beckman, 717-534-8090
jbeckman@hersheys.com