Women in Cocoa – Hidden Jewels of Chocolate

Wednesday, December 1, 2021 | 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. EST

Join us as we examine the opportunities and challenges facing Women in Cocoa across different cocoa origins from Papua New Guinea to Ecuador, Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire. Conscious of their place as a sociological half of the community, women are tackling with determination the major challenges of the cocoa sector. As cocoa farmers, managers of cooperatives or union of producers’ cooperatives, managers of local cocoa processing companies, technical managers and specialized workers in the factories of large industrial groups, they are slowly but surely leaving their mark on the path towards sustainability in the cocoa sector.

The role and support of female cocoa farmers are rarely seen to the same degree; even though as wives, daughters, sisters, mothers and aunts, they provide a vital if “hidden” source of workforce and human capital resources on farms belonging to their male relatives. This includes not only cocoa-related activities, but also “care activities” necessary to maintain the social aspects of the production and which demands even more time and work from women. With the upward climb in the age profile of cocoa farmers, the low productivity of cocoa farms, along with the prevailing threat on forests to expand cocoa production and raise incomes, is it now the time to address the untapped resources of women cocoa farmers and see how women are a significant and critical catalyst for change that leads to sustainable communities and healthier families? And if so, how can generations of norms and gender stereotypes be overcome? Travel with us around the world and hear from women cocoa sustainability managers from the field and learn how they are responding to these challenges in their work collectively with women, youth and communities.

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 Jennifer Abuah, Nigeria

Jennifer joined Olam Nigeria in 2011, having previously worked in the UN and the UK voluntary sector. A prolific traveler, Jennifer grew up and was educated in Japan, USA, UK and Nigeria. She holds a master’s degree in social policy and planning of developing countries from the London School of Economics.

Danièle Kouassi, Côte d’Ivoire

Danièle S. Kouassi graduated from the University of Quebec at Montreal with a bachelor’s degree in industrial chemistry in 1994, and an Master of Science in environmental science in 1998.

She started her career in green coffee with Nestlé in 1999 and spent her first five years with the company working with coffee farmers in Côte d’Ivoire. She joined the Olam group in 2004 in Côte d’Ivoire as procurement officer to purchase FOB cocoa from farmers organizations/small- and medium-size exporters. She integrated the sustainability cocoa team at Olam in 2006.  Today, she is head of ccocoa sustainability.

Danièle has developed strong experience in livelihoods improvement through prosperous, independent, engaged communities and in environment safeguarding. She has been responsible for developing and managing cocoa sustainability programs on the ground, working with hundreds of cooperatives of cocoa farmers to optimize post-harvest processes and sourcing of responsible cocoa. She has targeted interventions to help farmers achieve a living income with tailored mixes of service packages that focus on farmers’ specific needs.

Danièle is a member of the National Mirror Committee in charge of developing the African Regional Standard for Sustainable Cocoa. She is also member of the Compedium of Women Talents and Skills in Côte d’Ivoire and member of the alumni PMD, MDE Business School.

Paula Rueda, Ecuador

Paula Andrea Rueda Peña graduated from EARTH University in Costa Rica, with a bachelor’s degree in agronomic engineering, 2001, and an Master of Science in environmental science, 2013, in Jorge Tadeo University in Colombia

She started her career in the cut flowers industry in 2002 spending three years with the company working in this sector in Costa Rica and Colombia as postharvest manager. She joined the international cooperation working six years with USAID, and six years with Canadian cooperation programs in Colombia with a focus in promoting rural economical development through agricultural value chains such as cocoa, coffee, rubber, fruits and vegetable, pepper and animal production. For five years, she worked in the public sector in CRS with Ecopetrol, building and implementing the rural development programs and with Finagro in the Nacional Technical Assistance program. She also worked as a soil and plant physiology teacher in a private university in Colombia.

Paula has developed strong experience in rural extension methodologies, livelihoods and rural development, strengthening agricultural value chains with an emphasis on associative and cooperative work, and formulation and implementation of national programs focused on farmers and their supply chains.

Since two years ago, she joined as the sustainability manager in the Olam Ecuador team, leading a team of 50 people, and the implementation of programs and strategies aligned with Cocoa Compass, with the goal that 100% of cocoa from the origin will be sustainable.

Melinda Thom, Papua New Guinea

Melinda Thom has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Papua New Guinea. She has more than 10 years of experience in community development and sustainable agricultural practices working with various organizations in Papua New Guinea.

Melinda presented a paper on gender in agroforestry in the Markham Valley of Papua New Guinea, where she discussed roles and responsibilities of women in agriculture and their decision-making powers in the community.

Melinda’s current role is sustainability manager with Outspan PNG Ltd, a subsidiary of Olam Food Ingredients. She is involved in ensuring the company complies with subscribed and national laws of the country and also works with farming communities to ensure compliance in the production of quality and sustainable cocoa.

Abdoulaye Traore, Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate

Originally from the large cocoa-producing country of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), where he obtained his undergraduate degree in natural science and plant genetics, Dr. Traore was the recipient of a student excellence award from the Ministry of Scientific Research of Côte d’Ivoire including a full scholarship to study in the USA. In 1993, he completed a master’s degree in crop science from Oregon State University. In 1994, he started his PhD in food science and plant biotechnology at Penn State working with cocoa.

In 2000, he completed his PhD and moved to West Africa to pilot a cacao biotechnology transfer project in conjunction with Penn State and the STCP (Sustainable Tree Crop Program). From 2001 to 2003, Dr. Traore was an independent consultant for the BCCCA (Biscuit, Chocolate Cake and Confectionary Association), transferring cacao biotechnology in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.

From 2003 to 2006, Dr. Traore was a Schwatz Research Fellow at the Penn State School of Forestry. From 2006 to 2016, he worked at Mars Chocolate North America first as a scientist with the Global Chocolate Technology group on a variety of projects on cocoa and chocolate industrial processing, and later as the R&D quality and food safety manager at the Mars Chocolate North America plant in Elizabethtown, PA. In 2016 he joined Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate North America as an R&D senior technical service manager. Dr. Traore has several publications in scientific journals and conferences.

Q&A Contributor: Dr. Léonie Bonnehin Verrier, Regional Agroforestry West Africa

Dr. Léonie BONNEHIN-VERRIER joined Olam Cocoa on February 17, 2020 as cocoa agroforestry head, West Africa, to be part of the core sustainability leadership team and to support Olam’s “Cocoa and Forest Initiative” commitments on reforestation and reduction of natural capital costs.

Léonie has 30+ years of experience in environment, biodiversity and sustainable development, mostly developed in West and Central Africa.

Prior to joining Olam, she has worked with Wageningen University/Tropenbos; GIZ (ex GTZ), Conservation International (CI) and as a consultant for various other organizations. She has acquired solid experience within the teams of the different programs implemented, respectively: sustainable land use in the Taï region, conservation of the Taï National Park as a World Heritage Site; development of transboundary biodiversity corridors in the hotspot of the Upper Guinea forest ecosystem and development of private-public partnerships in the agricultural sectors of cocoa, rubber, oil palm and cashew.

Léonie has a Master of Science in biogeography and botany from the University of Tours and Montpellier, France and a PhD in forest ecology and management from Wageningen University, Netherlands.

Léonie was awarded in 1993 by the USIA/International Visitors program as a Young African Leader in Environment with 11 colleagues (men) from North, West, Central and South Africa and Madagascar.

Join us as we examine the opportunities and challenges facing Women in Cocoa across different cocoa origins from Papua New Guinea to Ecuador, Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire. Conscious of their place as a sociological half of the community, women are tackling with determination the major challenges of the cocoa sector. As cocoa farmers, managers of cooperatives or union of producers’ cooperatives, managers of local cocoa processing companies, technical managers and specialized workers in the factories of large industrial groups, they are slowly but surely leaving their mark on the path towards sustainability in the cocoa sector.

The role and support of female cocoa farmers are rarely seen to the same degree; even though as wives, daughters, sisters, mothers and aunts, they provide a vital if “hidden” source of workforce and human capital resources on farms belonging to their male relatives. This includes not only cocoa-related activities, but also “care activities” necessary to maintain the social aspects of the production and which demands even more time and work from women. With the upward climb in the age profile of cocoa farmers, the low productivity of cocoa farms, along with the prevailing threat on forests to expand cocoa production and raise incomes, is it now the time to address the untapped resources of women cocoa farmers and see how women are a significant and critical catalyst for change that leads to sustainable communities and healthier families? And if so, how can generations of norms and gender stereotypes be overcome? Travel with us around the world and hear from women cocoa sustainability managers from the field and learn how they are responding to these challenges in their work collectively with women, youth and communities.

REGISTER NOW
Steve Genzoli

Moderator: Steve Genzoli, Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Steve began his career with Nestle Chocolate & Confections where he held various positions within operations management and technical service. After nine years with Nestle, he joined Fuji Vegetable Oil where he was the technical marketing manager. In this capacity, he supported the technical needs of key customers in both North and South America.

In 1997 Steve joined the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company where he is currently the vice president of quality assurance and research and development.

Steve is Vice President of PMCA. He holds a bachelor’s degree in food science from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.