The investment will help create more jobs and improve supply chain transparency for customers
Image: Cargill will expand cocoa processing sites in Ivory Coast and Ghana. Photo: courtesy of Devanath from Pixabay.
Cargill has announced that it is investing more than $113m to expand its cocoa processing sites in Ivory Coast and Ghana.
The company will invest $100m to increase production capacity by 50% at Yopougon site in Ivory Coast. The investment will also help create 85 full-time local jobs and multiple indirect jobs.
A major share of the additional capacity in Yopougon’s cocoa processing plant will be used to produce Gerkens deeply rich brown cocoa powders.
The company will invest $13m to increase production capacity by 20% at the Tema site in Ghana.
Cargill’s Ghana cocoa and chocolate business managing director Aedo van der Weij said: “Building on the success of the ‘Good taste of Ghana’ campaign when we started producing cocoa powders in the country in 2008 and selling them worldwide to our customers, the expansion of Tema is needed to meet customer demand for high value cocoa powders.”
Cargill will also expand sustainability and supply chain traceability programmes in two countries
To expand sustainability and supply chain traceability programmes in the two countries, Cargill will also invest $12.3m in the next three years.
The company will invest $7.7m in Ivory Coast and $3.4m in Ghana to implement programmes to enhance the safety and well-being of children and families in cocoa farming areas, as well as offer a transparent and traceable cocoa supply chain for customers and consumers.
Cargill West-Africa managing director Lionel Soulard said: “We aim to shift a greater share of our global grinding activities to the countries of origin, so we can support the establishment of a broader, local agri-food industry.
“Working directly with both governments and other key stakeholders, we are committed to economic growth, building sustainable local businesses and diversifying sources of income for cocoa farming communities.”
In October, Cargill announced a $225m investment to expand the integrated soybean crush and refined oils facility in Sidney, Ohio, US.
The company has decided to increase crush capacity and modernise operations at the Sidney site to better serve area farmers, as well as meet the growing demand for protein and refined oils.