Cadbury owner Mondelez International has claimed its new sustainability programme will "help secure the future of the cocoa industry".
The company yesterday (19 November) launched Cocoa Life, an initiative to "improve the livelihoods" of cocoa farmers and those living in farming communities.
The scheme is based on Cadbury's Cocoa Partnership, which the UK confectioner launched in 2008 to help farmers in Ghana.
Mondelez, which also owns chocolate brands including Toblerone and Milka, said it would spend US$400m over the next decade on the project.
Some $100m of the cash will be directed to Cote d'Ivoire, the world's largest cocoa producer, in a bid to double productivity.
The programme will also look to tackle child labour and promote the protection of the environment, Mondelez said.
Tim Cofer, president of Mondelez's European operations, said he was "proud" of what he called a "distinctive, holistic approach to cocoa sustainability".
He added: "Our mission is to create thriving cocoa communities and help secure the future of the cocoa industry."
