Archer Daniels Midland Co. (NYSE: ADM) announced its participation in the World Cocoa Foundation’s CocoaAction strategy, which brings together leaders in the cocoa industry to advance sustainability efforts in West Africa. Through CocoaAction, 12 of the world’s largest cocoa and chocolate companies will voluntarily coordinate their resources and align their objectives to increase efforts to build a stronger, more economically viable cocoa sector. The governments of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, the world’s leading cocoa-producing countries, helped develop CocoaAction and have committed to working with World Cocoa Foundation members to achieve its goals.

“ADM’s participation in CocoaAction complements our Socially and Environmentally Responsible Agricultural Practices (S.E.R.A.P.) program, which supports farmers and cocoa-growing communities through community-based projects that focus on social responsibility, environmental stewardship, quality and production, and producer-group professionalism,” said Ian Pinner, president, ADM Global Cocoa. “By aligning our existing sustainability efforts with CocoaAction’s multifaceted approach, ADM is building upon its commitment to improving the livelihoods of West African cocoa farmers and the communities in which they live.”

CocoaAction is based on a holistic approach to improve livelihoods and economic opportunities in cocoa communities, with a combined focus on measures to increase productivity and support community development. Specifically, CocoaAction’s goals are that, by 2020, at least 300,000 farmers in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana (200,000 in Côte d’Ivoire and 100,000 in Ghana) will have increased their productivity by 100 percent or more through improved agricultural practices and increased access to planting materials and fertilizer. Additionally, the program aims to strengthen the communities in which cocoa farmers live by focusing on education, child labor monitoring and remediation and activities to advance women’s empowerment.

More information about ADM’s SERAP program and the company’s commitment to responsible cocoa production throughout the world can be found at adm.com/cocoasustainability.