Washington, U.S.A. – The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) is launching a $4 million initiative to benefit 35,000 cocoa farmers in three West African countries that are among the world’s largest producers of cocoa.  The announcement comes as part of the Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security, taking place alongside the 2012 G8 Summit in Washington.

“WCF and our Member companies continue to invest in Sub-Saharan Africa and work together with national governments and partners to show our long-term commitment to cocoa farmers in the region,” said WCF President Bill Guyton.  Guyton also noted recent findings that demonstrate a strong link between modern cocoa farming techniques and food security in cocoa-growing areas.

Guyton said, “Cocoa farmers already have mastered concepts essential for producing crops and bringing a product to market.  Cocoa trees are well suited for combining with food crops. Cocoa farmers are uniquely positioned to form a cornerstone of many countries’ food security strategies.”

The new $4 million in WCF support comes in the form of a matching grants program and financial growth fund to provide business training and improved farming techniques to small-scale family farmers in Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Cameroon. Program activities will be carried out under the auspices of WCF’s ongoing $40 million Cocoa Livelihoods Program, which is co-funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 16 leading WCF members.

The investment is matched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Sustainable Trade Initiative and WCF Member company partners, with the aim of doubling farm household incomes. WCF Member companies participating in the matching grants program include Kraft Foods; Mars, Incorporated; Cargill; ADM Cocoa; Barry Callebaut; Armajaro Trading Ltd.; ECOM Cocoa;  and Olam International Ltd.

As a complement to the new program, WCF Member The Hershey Company has developed a text messaging service to support cocoa farmers in the field by providing critical information on fertilizer application, plant husbandry, harvesting techniques and other farming practices, as well as social messaging on topics such as prevention of HIV/AIDS and malaria.

Through the program, WCF also will increase cocoa farmers’ access to credit for fertilizer and other needs. The program additionally provides support to cocoa farmer organizations to expand their outreach to non-member farmers and to improve business operations. The program will be self-sustaining.

Image Courtesy of   Gates Foundation

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Women for Positive Action has launched a practical and educational tool to empower women living with HIV to deal with the challenges of stigma and discrimination as a way to mark International Women’s Day (IWD) to be celebrated March 8, 2012.

According to research, more than 3,000 women and girls contract HIV each day and the latest global estimate of women living with HIV (WLWH) in 2009 was approximately 17 million. Women make up about 50% of HIV cases and a higher proportion of new diagnoses compared with men. The share of HIV infection among women is increasing in several countries. For instance, young women — aged 15-24years — in sub-Saharan Africa are eight times more likely than men to be diagnosed with HIV.

By developing this tool, Women for Positive Action hopes to enable women access the right support and care to achieve better outcomes for themselves and their families. Designed for use in both the community and clinical settings, the tool will provide examples of the ways in which women living with HIV can be supported to combat stigma and discrimination. Additionally, the tool will discuss disclosure of HIV status and suggest ways to support women who wish to take this step. The tool is available for download at their website.

According to Annette Piech — a member of the German Therapy Activists Network DCAB HIV and the European AIDS Treatment Group — disclosure of HIV status can have positive benefits for an individual, their family and the community by reducing depression and anxiety and encouraging access to HIV support and care services.

“Disclosure is not a decision which should be taken lightly. It is a process which should only be undertaken when the woman feels fully supported and when it becomes appropriate at the various stages of life,” explains Annette Piech.

Each year around the world, International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. The theme for the 2012 International Women’s Day is ‘Connecting Girls, and Inspiring Futures’.

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Lenny Kravitz – GRAMMY award-winning singer-songwriter, record producer and actor—is using his voice and talent to do more than dazzle the stage and screen. He is throwing his support behind the global push by UNICEF and its partners to help save and improve the lives of millions of children and their families around the world by providing them with access to clean water and adequate sanitation.

“I was born in New York City and have always taken access to clean water as a given,” said Kravitz.  “No child should die of diarrhea from drinking dirty water. That thousands of children under the age of five continue to die every day because they lack clean water and basic sanitation is simply unacceptable.”

On March 6, UNICEF announced that the world has met the Millennium Development Goal for drinking water, with 89 percent of the global population now with access. However, that still leaves more than 780 million people, mainly in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, without access.  In addition, around 2.5 billion people—almost half the developing world’s population—lack access to improved sanitation. This all adds up to bad news for the children who are being left behind.

Kravitz will be appearing in Public Service Announcements and take to Twitter and Facebook with a message that all children can—and must—have access to clean water and adequate sanitation. Kravitz, who recently released the album ‘Black and White America’, and who will be starring in ‘The Hunger Games’ later this month, is joining forces with UNICEF to help mark World Water Day (March 22) and will send a global message of the importance of investing in children and providing them with clean water and sanitation.

In the United States, Kravitz will be lending his support for the UNICEF Tap Project by encouraging his fans and dining patrons across the country to pay $1 or more for the tap water they usually enjoy for free during World Water Week, March 19 – 25. With $1, UNICEF can provide a child with access to clean, safe water for 40 days, or 40 children with access to safe water for one day. Funds raised through the 2012 UNICEF Tap Project will provide children and families with clean drinking water in Viet Nam,Togo, Mauritania and Cameroon.

Poor sanitation, water and hygiene have serious repercussions on a child’s health, often causing diarrhea and other easily preventable diseases.  Children, particularly girls, often miss school, because they are responsible for gathering water for their families, which can require many hours of their time. In addition, many schools lack private and decent sanitation facilities for girls, causing them to drop out of school. Without safe water, sanitation, and good hygiene, sustainable development is difficult to achieve.

Since 1990, UNICEF, governments and partners, have helped more than 2 billion people gain access to improved water sources and 1.8 billion people gain access to improved sanitation facilities. The efforts include drilling wells and installing water pumps, helping communities build latrines and teaching lifesaving hygiene to schoolchildren and mothers, and providing safe water and sanitation to communities during emergencies.

Image Courtesy of   vilena makarica / Shutterstock.com

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Dr Duncan Clarke, Chairman & CEO, Global Pacific & Partners, says: “Our focus is on Shaping Africa’s Future, as Africa holds great commercial promise, its destiny to be unlocked by local and foreign investment, enhanced trade and development partnerships, along with competitive business strategies across its landscapes.”

“Africa is not poor, but poorly managed: It needs more growth and investment”

Dr Clarke continues: “The Forum will address leading-edge shifts in Africa’s evolving economies, critical investment and business concerns, and the Continent’s emerging role and strategic position within a highly competitive and rapidly globalising world.”

The 6th Annual Africa Economic Forum will bring together Africa’s leading industries, companies, state players, senior executives, and government officials to interface in a content-rich meeting, including players from countries outside Africa, and so connect fast-growth core industries inside and outside Africa’s economies.

Global Pacific & Partners is delighted to announce CNN International as the Exclusive International Broadcast Partner for the 2012 program.

The 6th Annual Africa Economic Forum will include the 13th Southern Africa Oil, Gas& Energy Conference, as three intensive break-away sessions. These will focus on oil/gas exploration/development both offshore and onshore, shale gas/oil resources, power projects, renewable energy and energy efficiency, downstream oil markets and Southern Africa’s future fuels mix.

The Conference features Keynote Ministerial Addresses from Hon Dr Rob Davies, Minister of Trade & Industry (South Africa) and Hon Elizabeth Dipuo Peters, Minister of Energy (South Africa).

In addition, the 5th Sub-Saharan Africa Business Briefing takes place one day prior the 6th Africa Economic Forum, on Monday 5th March 2012, with unique insights provided on the prospects, potential and future economic outlook for business and investment across the Continent. Presented by Dr Duncan Clarke, Chairman & CEO, Global Pacific & Partners, a leading economic strategist on Africa.

Dr Duncan Clarke has been an Advisor to African governments and oil companies while the Company runs the Continent’s largest annual oil and gas management meeting, the landmark Africa Oil Week, now in its 19th year, held in Cape Town.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldeconomicforum/

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