World Cocoa Foundation Seeks Applicants for Cocoa Research Projects in Eastern Indonesia

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) announced today the opening of its application period for farm productivity and cocoa quality research projects in Eastern Indonesia. Grants of up to $60,000 USD will be awarded to research projects that will improve the quality of life for Indonesian cocoa farmers and cocoa-farming families. The three-year program is made possible through the Ford Foundation's Indonesian Cocoa Applied Research & Extension Grant.  

"Focusing on research with long-term farm quality and farmer communities as a principal theme is central to the mission of the World Cocoa Foundation," said Bill Guyton, WCF President. "We are grateful for this opportunity to collaborate with the Ford Foundation to expand our support for local institutions in Indonesia, promote innovation, and strengthen linkages between farmers, extension services and scientists."

The Grant will provide up to four awards of $60,000 USD each to Indonesian research institutes, universities, or non-governmental organizations with qualifying projects focusing on Eastern Indonesia. Submission guidelines and details are found on the WCF website: worldcocoafoundation.org/indonesia-grants-program-2013. The application period is open through October 1, 2013.

The project's goals are to improve the quality of life for cocoa-farming families and the quality of their cocoa production, advance the transfer of technology/research from the laboratory to the cocoa farm through participatory field trials with the active involvement of farmers and the development of extension materials and training approaches, and to further the development of innovative technologies and training approaches that are locally appropriate. 

Indonesia is the world's third largest cocoa-producing country. Cocoa is an important source of livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of farmers in Indonesia. Smallholder farmers, however, face three key challenges: managing pests and diseases, aging cocoa farms, and product quality. The Indonesian Cocoa Applied Research & Extension Grant is seeking research applications that will help address these challenges and improve technologies that are transferable to and adoptable at the farm level.

About WCF 
WCF is an international membership foundation that promotes a sustainable cocoa economy by providing cocoa farmers with the tools they need to grow more and better cocoa, market it successfully and make greater profits. These efforts help increase the supply of cocoa and help guarantee chocolate lovers access to their favorite products. WCF's membership includes more than 100 cocoa and chocolate manufacturers, processors, supply chain managers, and other companies worldwide, representing more than 80 percent of the global cocoa market. For more information, visit www.worldcocoa.org.

SOURCE World Cocoa Foundation