Cargill’s new CocoaWise portal opens up its supply chain to greater scrutiny

CocoaWise will provide customers with fast, easy access to the sustainability data of Cargill’s cocoa supply chain, the company claimed.

With full, real-time visibility, the portal enables its customers to be more deeply connected to the communities from which it purchases its cocoa and see first-hand the impact of financial investments in key initiatives that meet the needs of the cocoa farming communities on the ground.

“As one of the world’s leading cocoa and chocolate producers, we sit at the center of the cocoa sector and connect all the players in the value chain, from working hand-in-hand with the farmers to sustainably providing high-quality products to our customers​,” said Harold Poelma, President of Cargill’s cocoa & chocolate business. “With cutting-edge technologies, like CocoaWise, we are able to strengthen this collaboration and move the industry forward together towards a more transparent and sustainable cocoa supply chain benefiting both farmers and customers​.”

Centralized data platform

The digital portal pulls information from a centralized data platform, which is fed from a suite of Cargill’s digital tools that are designed to increase transparency and traceability while enhancing cocoa farming practices and community well-being.

Supply chain transparency includes an interactive map that shows the name and location of the 128 cooperative offices in Côte d’Ivoire, the seven buying stations in Ghana and the 11 buying stations in Cameroon belonging to Cargill’s direct sourcing network in these countries.

Financial transparency includes mobile money solutions provided to farmers so they can be assured of being paid fairly, accurately and securely.

The portal will also provide a set of digital tools to enable farmers make informed decisions based on agronomy, up-to-date weather and market access information. In addition to helping farmers with tailored farm management plans aimed at boosting productivity, this system gathers farm data, such as geolocation, crop health, household and income data, to communicate with farmers.

“For years, we have been putting technology to work to help the 210,000 farmers in the five countries we purchase our cocoa. This crop year alone, we invested an additional $3m in traceability initiatives that allowed us to bring the data from our supply chain together in more powerful ways and help farmers enhance agricultural practices​,” said Taco Terheijden, Sustainability Director for Cargill’s cocoa & chocolate business. “If we want to make sure farmers have a bright future growing sustainable cocoa, we need to make sure consumers believe in it​.”