Hershey to Host Cocoa Summit

MEXICO CITYThe Hershey Company and cocoa supplier Agroindustrias Unidas de Cacao SA de CV will host a cocoa summit to unite stakeholders committed to saving Mexicos cocoa industry.

The summit will take place on July 13, 2013, in Tapachula, Chiapas, marking the next phase of The Mexico Cocoa Project. This 10-year, $2.8 million initiative will provide training in farm renovation and good agricultural practices (GAPs), along with the distribution of 100,000 disease-tolerant cocoa trees to restore cocoa farmland devastated by tree disease. The effort intends to quadruple yields, substantially increase family incomes and contribute to the worldwide supply of sustainable cocoa.

Participating farmers will be trained in the highest standards of sustainable cocoa and labor practices that will enable them to be certified by third-party cocoa certification NGOs.

The summit will be an important means to reach out to the various stakeholders who are critical to bringing back cocoa farming in Mexico and supporting the family cocoa farmers," said Hector de la Barreda, vice president and general manager for Hershey Mexico and Central America. From farmers to producers to government and research institutes, this symposium on cocoa will bring together the right people to begin the process of replanting and restoring cocoa farming in the same area where the ancient Olmecs, Mayans and Aztecs first cultivated cocoa as a food."

During the past year, Hershey and AMCO have built and maintained nurseries to grow disease-resistant tree stock in the Chiapas region. The area was hit by Moniliasis, also known as frosty pod rot, a disease that attacks the fruit of the cacao tree, causing its cocoa beans to become unusable. As a result, cocoa yields in the area have dropped by nearly half since 2005.

Hersheys growth in Mexico is part of the companys vision to grow its international business through key focus markets.

The Mexico Cocoa Project is one of The Hershey Companys cocoa sustainability programs around the world. Its 21^st Century Cocoa Plan" addresses an ongoing concern of the cocoa industry, which involves supporting the long-term sustainability of the worlds cocoa supply. Last year, Hershey committed to using 100% certified cocoa in its products globally by 2020. Hersheys percentage of certified cocoa will surpass 10% of its total cocoa volume this year, and will increase to between 40% and 50% by 2016.

New research on the cocoa genome sequence could also aid current cocoa deficits by accelerating the breeding process of cocoa plants, resulting in higher yields.