North Amercian chocolate maker Hershey’s is launching Phase II of its HERSHEY LEARN TO GROW program, a move which will extend the program to all cocoa-growing regions in Ghana.
The move comes 18 months after the launch of the program to help increase the incomes and improve living standards for over 1,400 cocoa farm families with significant results.
The latest expansion will increase the number of participating farmers to more than 21,000 across Ghana.
The Hershey Company senior vice president, chief supply chain officer Terence O'Day said the HERSHEY LEARN TO GROW program has exceeded the expectations and shown how a package of training programs, including business knowledge and good agricultural practices, can meaningfully change the lives of cocoa farmers, their families and their communities.
"The program has proven we can substantially improve productivity, family incomes and labor practices while increasing cocoa quality. We are pleased to be working with our partner in Ghana - Source Trust - to expand Learn to Grow to 20,000 more farmers who will all benefit from the training that has proven so successful in Phase I," O'Day noted.
The participating farmers are also enrolling in the CocoaLink mobile phone learning program that provides weekly text and voice messages on farm modernization, information about health, safety and labor.
Image: The latest expansion of HERSHEY LEARN TO GROW program will increase the number of participating farmers to more than 21,000 across Ghana. Photo: courtesy of The Hershey Company.
