Zamacom Cocoa Adds Traceability to its Cooperative Partnership

Zamacom, ECOM Cocoa's office in the Ivory Coast, understands that quality cocoa also means traceable cocoa. During its 2004/05 partnership campaign in Côte d’Ivoire, over 800 cooperative-based farmers learned first hand the value Zamacom places on partnership in the following areas:

• Best practices in cocoa husbandry
• Best post-harvest practices in producing quality cocoa
• Environmental protection
• Proper use of pesticides
• How to establish tree nurseries
• The importance of keeping children in school

Farmers are always impressed that Zamacom is willing to help them learn sustainable cocoa production techniques that increase yield and add value to their product. As a partnership gesture, during the 2005/06 campaign, Zamacom will reward cooperative-member farmers who have adopted the best practices in cocoa husbandry and environmental protection during the previous nine months. In order to distribute remuneration to each farmer equitably, selected cooperatives working with Zamacom will maintain a traceability database that tracks the level of training received by each farmer and exactly how many bags of cocoa each member contributes to the cooperative for sale.

Traceability Means Rewarding Farmers Directly

Cooperative managers understand that as cocoa becomes more traceable, management will be able to reward specific farmers that adhere to the best practices. They affirm that loyal farmers should receive higher levels of assistance so that others will take note of improvements demonstrated in model farms, nurseries, and other innovations facilitated by our partnership.

At the beginning of the 2005/06 campaign, Zamacom will assist model farmers to establish demonstration plots using innovative, yet proven husbandry methods. We anticipate that after seeing the model, many conservative or uninformed cooperative members will have the courage to change antiquated practices.

During classroom training, farmers learn how to become more efficient in the fermentation, drying, and storage of cocoa. Farmers also learn quality control. Each participant performs the classic cut test to detect mold, slate, and insect damage. Once farmers understand exactly what defects are and why they are harmful to cocoa as a food product, it is easier for them to become strategically motivated to protect the quality of their beans.

Bagging at Origin

To avoid 'mixing' which is typical of larger plants, Zamacom installs mini bagging stations within selected cooperative-managed sheds. An independent quality control company is retained to pre-approve cocoa quality and supervise loading directly into new jute bags. These mini bagging stations allow cooperatives to create employment within their villages and to become eligible to receive a premium for grade-1, origin-certifiable, cocoa.

As cocoa traceability becomes ever more important to the production of quality foods, Zamacom continues to elect and to train new cooperatives willing to participate in such grassroots management and production strategies. Under Zamacom supervision, cooperative management always begins with farmer training and evolves as quickly as each cooperative can organize its members around the common theme of producing quality, traceable cocoa under sustainable conditions.

Participatory Training – Appropriate Solutions

Since Zamacom training is always participatory, farmer trainees regularly share obstacles with our expert trainers. This way several production problems find appropriate solutions. For example, farmers are often unaware of the importance of drying quality cocoa on raised platforms. When asked why they used the ground for drying cocoa, farmers responded that bamboo (the raw material used to weave drying platforms) has all but disappeared due to overexploitation in their producing regions. Zamacom has since facilitated the propagation of bamboo from nurseries in these regions. Once mature, the newly introduced bamboo will serve as a source of building material for drying platforms and it will help renew the region’s biodiversity as well.


May 2003: Tonton Ladio is born, launching Zamacom’s educational sessions. Over 400 farmers have attended Tonton Ladio Training/Sensibilization sessions in the Abengourou, Daloa and Soubre regions.

Topics addressed include :

• How to produce quality cocoa
• Proper use of pesticides
• The importance of children attending school
• Management of family resources
• Forest protection in cocoa husbandry

Farmers drying cocoa on raised platforms