Pilot Projects

The fine-flavoured cocoa project aims to increase growers’ capacity to grow high-quality cocoa to develop a super-premium brand of cocoa that will be recognised worldwide and to work with buyers to obtain a route to market for this fine-flavoured cocoa. Through the training programme it is estimated that 4,320 farmers will be trained directly (over four years) whilst 8,460 will be trained through farmer-to-farmer efforts. Average income gains are approximately US$350 per producer. The certification project will reach 7,000 farmers (35,000 total beneficiaries), impact 34,000 hectares (including farm areas not under cocoa production), and facilitate a market for 6,500 tonnes  of cocoa. An average annual increase in income of US$300 is predicted, approximately a 35 per cent increase in annual income.

Dried beans in Ethiopia sets out to increase the incomes and stability of small-scale farmers in Ethiopia through the implementation of a new business model that will capitalise on new market opportunities. The project has secured 2,000 tonnes from a UK canner and has helped ACOS, the project’s exporting partner, to secure their full 11,000 tonne order.  4,000 farmers would produce the beans each supplying an average of 0.5 tonnes from 0.5 hectares of production. There would be benefits for a further 24,000 family members. Profits will range from US$144-187 per household.  Bean incomes per 100 kilogram bag represents a doubling of income compared with sorghum, the staple food that is typically intercropped with beans.

RA certified cocoa: Over 3,000 farmers are adopting the Sustainable Agriculture standard in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Adoption brings them benefits beyond access to premium markets and surveys are capturing these. Market interest in certification as a strategy for sustainable sourcing that can be talked about is growing, because it meets several key needs of companies. There has been an increase of 600 farmers in training from December 2007 to December 2008 in Cote d’Ivoire and an increase of 900 in farmers in the same period in Ghana. In Cote d’Ivoire the project has increased the number of certifed farmers by 400 in the period December 2007 to December 2008.

Smallholder flowers and ASDA in Kenya: The relationship between ASDA and Naturegrown has the potential to increase smallholders’ income and through increased demand for smallholder flowers, signficantly increase the number of smallholders, Naturegrown, sources from. In year one of the relationship up to 2,000 farmers could be receiving a US$100 increase in incomes and in year two this could increase to US$250.