Sustainable cocoa production: WWF presents strides, challenges in over 20 years.

This was during a press conference organised by WWF Cameroon in Douala on July 8, 2025. The presser was organised as part of the activities marking the annual commemoration of World Chocolate Day.

The Day, celebrated annually on July 7, offers a unique opportunity for stakeholders to reflect on the global chocolate industry's impact, from production and consumption to its economic effects on indigenous peoples and local communities. 

On the occasion, WWF Cameroon’s Senior Cocoa Expert, Jean Paul Nlend Nkott, and some of his collaborators unveiled the strides and challenges recorded in the move to support farmers switch from their normal farming style to a more sustainable cocoa production.

The WWF team members said it was relevant in Cameroon, given the sector's central role in rural livelihoods, economic development, and environmental sustainability. 

Laying emphasis on environmental sustainability, Nlend Nkott noted that through various initiatives, WWF is working with local communities, farmers, and partners to adopt sustainable methods, connect them with buyers, and protect forests. 

WWF cocoa strategy places sustainable cocoa production as a key lever for conservation in priority landscapes, he explained. Recognising cocoa as the main source of income for many Indigenous Peoples, WWF promotes cocoa value chains that are both environmentally friendly and socially inclusive.

Quoting examples of the Tridom space, rich in biodiversity but worrying in terms of conservation, scientists find out that there are many smallholder farmers within the Tridom landscape that spans Cameroon, Congo and Gabon. 

With high rates of healthy forest coverage, it is home to an abundance of species, including forest elephants. It is also home to small communities, including indigenous peoples, a large amount of whom rely on farming for their livelihoods such as the Bakar, Bantus and others. It is for this reason that, the WWF holds that it has to be protected. 

“Our research shows what can be done for durable conservation of nature and humans living there, one of such is agroforestry, meaning farming can be carried out without necessarily felling down of trees,” Nkott noted 

He also mentioned that cocoa cultivation needs forest to be cut down but this can be done without destroying it, preserving medicinal trees to reduce the impact of deforestation. 

Sustainable cocoa, he stated, ensures produce are ecological healthy and economically renumerating

“This is the type we at WWF want to promote; we have come up with a come a strategy that help farmers work with other producers and cooperatives to teach them good practices on sustainability to prevent soil degradation. This is such that nature should be preserved for future generations,” he added.

Gov’t, partners targeting 600.000 tons of premium cocoa 

In terms of quantity of production, it was said that the Cameroonian government and all its partners have developed new strategies on cocoa production indicating that before 2030, the country reaches the number of 600,000 tons per year of premium cocoa. 

This type of cocoa produce has already gained Cameroon some international partnership with chocolate producers abroad. More investment in premium cocoa, the expert of WWF said, will gain more openings for Cameroon cocoa in the international market 

However, the WWF officials want farmers to know that what they are doing is in line with protecting the environment and conservation. One of the farmers, Paul Junior Mbarga who shared his experience, said after his encounter with WWF, his production has created increased.

“It helped me to better care for my activity in the field of cocoa. WWF has brought us a lot of training on good practices, governance, structuration of cooperatives, assist us on entrepreneurship and with partners. This was helpful because at the start, we were carrying out cocoa farming like blind people, using old methods but with training we have learned that how to do agroforestry for lasting plantations,” Mbarga told reporters

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3500 of Friday July 11, 2025