Hershey’s CocoaLink Mobile Phone Program Delivers 100,000 Farmer and Family Messages During First Year in Ghana
HERSHEY, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 6, 2012--
The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY):
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40% of registered farmers in CocoaLink have attended community farming
and literacy training sessions
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Outreach program in Ghana’s cocoa growing region includes local
language text and voice mail to improve farmer output and raise income
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Largest mobile farmer technology program of its kind on track to reach
25,000 farmers in 2012
Ghana cocoa farmers have received more than 100,000 messages related to
better farming and family well-being during the first year of CocoaLink,
a mobile phones outreach program, sponsored by The Hershey Company
(NYSE: HSY), the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and the World Cocoa
Foundation (WCF).
CocoaLink, a first-of-its kind program that uses mobile voice and SMS
text messages delivered in the local language or English, connects cocoa
farmers with important information about improving farming practices,
farm safety, child labor, health, crop disease prevention, post-harvest
production and crop marketing. The program launched with its first
message to Ghanaian farmers in July 2011 is now the largest mobile
farmer technology program of its kind. Working with many on-the-ground
partners, CocoaLink is on track to reach 25,000 farmers by the end of
the year.
“CocoaLink has proved to be an innovative and effective way to reach
farmers in the remote cocoa growing villages and make a meaningful
impact on their livelihoods and their families,” said Tawiah
Agyarko-Kwarteng, Project Director of CocoaLink & ECHOES for World
Education who has implemented the program in 15 villages in Western
Ghana. “CocoaLink helps agriculture agents reach many more farmers than
they could through face to face visits and we are also excited by the
progress in literacy training and reducing the technology gap for rural
women.”
CocoaLink enables farmers to ask specific cocoa growing questions and
share learnings with other farmers about critical agricultural and
social information, benefiting farmers, their families and entire
cocoa-growing communities. The mobile technology program is managed
through a partnership between Hershey, COCOBOD and WCF, and is funded
entirely by Hershey.
A Successful First Year
During its first year, CocoaLink has delivered more than 100,000
critical farming and social messages to more than 4,000 participating
farmers across Ghana. These messages teach farmers how to employ modern
farming techniques such as pest control and pruning that improve their
yields and raise their incomes. Research has shown that improved incomes
and livelihoods are critical to getting children in cocoa communities
into school and keeping them there.
How CocoaLink works:
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Create, launch and maintain a two-way message delivery system with
a feedback loop – CocoaLink has created and maintains a fully
operational two-way communications platform that successfully delivers
critical information to over 4,000 farmers. The program utilizes a
network of field officers/extension agents who work with farmers in 15
target communities. The agents collect information and facilitate
answers to critical farming questions and issues. As word of CocoaLink
rapidly spreads across the region, approximately 25 percent of
registered subscribers are from outside the targeted communities.
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Improve farmers’ production and marketing capacity – More than
100 farm extension agents across the country are now registered into
the program and working to help farmers both improve their
productivity as well as better understand cocoa-market pricing and how
to effectively market their crops for maximum income.
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Form a cocoa farmer information network in 15 Ghanaian communities –
Weekly sessions have been held in each of the 15 target communities to
further educate farmers on mobile phone use and issues such as child
labor and agronomy. Farmers were able to bring key concerns to these
meetings and get immediate answers. The CocoaLink information is
further merchandised to farmers on the “CocoaLink News,” broadcast in
Community Information Centers, which are village public address
systems in 13 of the 15 target villages.
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Implement performance monitoring and farmer extension services
through a two-way messaging system – Field officers use a database
tool to conduct ongoing monitoring of community educational sessions
to gauge the effectiveness and success of messaging. The tool and
process enable project managers to measure data in real time and
quickly address any emerging issues and make swift decisions. These
may include helping farmers address child labor, pruning and weed
control in cocoa farms.
CocoaLink partners are now focusing on expanding the program across
three cocoa regions in Ghana: Western, Ashanti and Eastern. Based on the
success of the CocoaLink mobile phone program in Ghana, Hershey and its
partners are working with government officials in Cote d’Ivoire to
expand the network into the country, which is also a major global cocoa
producer.
A $10 Million Commitment to Responsible Cocoa Sourcing
CocoaLink is part of a broad set of programs and initiatives by The
Hershey Company to support cocoa farming in West Africa and responsible
cocoa sourcing in the region. Hershey is investing approximately $10
million in West Africa by 2017 to improve cocoa farming, community
health and reduce the worst forms of child labor. More information about
Hershey's cocoa sustainability efforts is available at: www.HersheyCocoaSustainability.com.
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 more than 12,000 employees. With
revenues of nearly $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, 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 the World Cocoa Foundation
The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) is an international membership
foundation that promotes a sustainable cocoa economy by providing cocoa
farmers with the tools they need to grow more and better cocoa, market
it successfully, and make greater profits. These efforts help increase
the supply of cocoa and help guarantee chocolate lovers access to their
favorite products. WCF's membership includes cocoa and chocolate
manufacturers, processors, supply chain managers, and other companies
worldwide, representing more than 80 percent of the global cocoa market.
Source: The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jeff
Beckman, 717-534-8090