International CoCoa Farmers Organization facts for kids
| Abbreviation | ICCFO |
|---|---|
| Formation | 4 December 2014 |
| Type | non-profit |
| Purpose | To be the voice of cocoa farmer and defend cocoa farmers interest worldwide. Support members to eradicate child and forced labor in their profession, and promote sustainable cocoa farming and safeguard nature. |
| Location | |
|
Headsecretariat
|
Netherland |
|
Co-founder/Executive General
|
Warren Sako |
| Website | http://iccfo.org/ (archived) |
The International CoCoa Farmers Organization (ICCFO) is a group that started in the Netherlands in 2014. It was created because cocoa farmers needed a way to talk about important issues in their work on a global scale. The ICCFO works to make sure cocoa is grown in ways that are good for the planet and to improve the lives of cocoa farmers and their workers.
The ICCFO includes smaller groups from different countries. Together, these groups represent about 600,000 cocoa workers. A board of 13 members leads the ICCFO, with each member representing a country that grows cocoa. The details about the board were shared at a meeting in The Hague in February 2015.
History of Cocoa Farmers
Cocoa farmers are super important because they provide the raw material, cocoa beans, for the entire chocolate business. The chocolate market makes about $80 billion every year around the world! Farmers play a key role in growing and keeping cocoa production going. However, for a long time, cocoa farmers didn't have a strong voice in international talks about their jobs. They couldn't speak together as one big group.
How the ICCFO Started
In June 2014, during the World Cocoa Conference in Amsterdam, cocoa farmers from eleven different countries met. They decided to create an international organization just for cocoa farmers.
Then, in December 2014, the International Cocoa Farmers Organization (ICCFO) was officially set up in the Netherlands. It was designed to be an open and honest group. A temporary board, led by Warren Sako, helped get it started.
A New Chapter for ICCFO
In 2014, the International CoCoa Farmers Organization (ICCFO) based in Lelystad, a city in the Netherlands, joined forces with another International CoCoa Farmers Organization. This second group had its main office for Africa in the Ivory Coast. This merger helped the ICCFO become even stronger and reach more farmers.
