Launch of SUCCESS Alliance Philippines: Phase II

A ceremony marking the launch of the SUCCESS Alliance Philippines: Phase II project was held in Manila on October 27, 2006. The event was sponsored by ACDI/VOCA, project implementer and co-sponsor. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Carl Leonard, president of ACDI/VOCA, attended the event from Washington. Dennis Voboril, director of USDA’s Agriculture Trade Office in Manila, and Bernie Fondevilla, executive director of the Philippine National Agriculture and Fisheries Council were also present.

Peter van Grinsven, cocoa sustainability field research manager at Mars, Inc., spoke about the markets for cocoa products and the regional opportunities for the Philippines’ re-emerging cocoa industry. Edward David, director of the Cocoa Foundation of the Philippines, Inc. (CocoaPhil), addressed the development of the Philippine cocoa industry, and how it aligns with national agricultural development and regional cocoa market development. Nicholas Richards, the project’s chief of party, gave an overview of its planned activities and objectives. In addition, a letter of support from the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), an important member of the SUCCESS Alliance, was read.

The launch was attended by a wide range of stakeholders: the International Finance Corporation, the Philippine Coconut Authority, Masterfoods Philippines Inc., the University of Southern Mindanao, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Departments of Agrarian Reform, Agriculture and Environment and Natural Resources, the Development Bank of the Philippines, the Philippines Tourism Authority, as well as farmers from several provinces, farmer trainers from SUCCESS Alliance Philippines: Phase I and local chocolate producers.

Nicholas Richards commented, “The event was very successful and has positioned the alliance members to implement a well-designed and highly appropriate program for smallholder cocoa farmers in the Philippines. The continued interest in the program was demonstrated by the variety of participants in attendance. The successful track record of the SUCCESS Alliance programs in Asia, ACDI/VOCA’s demonstrated credibility, the capacity of the development program and the respect it enjoys from the development sector, combined with CocoaPhil’s enthusiasm and capacity for successful implementation, makes a winning formula for success.”

The Sustainable CoCoa Enterprise Solutions for Smallholders (SUCCESS) Alliance was established in 2000 to address constraints to sustainable cocoa production and marketing in order to increase the competitiveness of the cocoa sector. Its mission is to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by promoting cocoa production and marketing in a way that is economically, environmentally, socially and culturally sustainable.

The SUCCESS Alliance receives funding from USDA and USAID. It is implemented by ACDI/VOCA, a U.S. nonprofit development organization, and is comprised of international and local organizations in Ecuador, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Private sector partners include the WCF and Mars Inc. For more information about the SUCCESS Alliance and the launch, visit www.successalliance.org.

The SUCCESS Alliance Philippines: Phase II project is a USDA-funded program that aims to train 150 trainers and 15,000 smallholder farmers in cocoa production, post-harvest processing, pest and disease management, and marketing through the farmer field school (FFS) methodology and participatory extension methods. Activities will be established in North and South Luzon, Palawan, Panay, Western Mindanao and Davao. It will work with tree crop farmers to intercrop cocoa to realize the benefits from crop diversification. It will ensure the participation of women as trainers, nursery operators and farmers. The program will establish 30 cocoa fermentation and drying centers, produce and distribute over a million cocoa seedlings at 100 nurseries, rehabilitate 400,000 cocoa trees through pest management and side-grafting, and establish government-endorsed quality standards for Philippine cocoa.
The SUCCESS Alliance Philippines: Phase II is a continuation of a project that began in 2002 following a grant by USAID to expand its SUCCESS Alliance program to the Philippines in partnership with WCF and Mars, Inc. Phase I focused on the training of cocoa farmers in Palawan, Northern Luzon, and Western Mindanao. During this time smallholder farmers increased their cocoa production and improved their incomes, thanks to Phase I’s emphasis on good crop husbandry methods and effective integrated pest management practices.
For 43 years and in 145 countries, ACDI/VOCA has empowered people in developing and transitional nations to succeed in the global economy. ACDI/VOCA delivers technical and management assistance in agribusiness systems, financial services, enterprise development and community development in order to promote broad-based economic growth and vibrant civil society. ACDI/VOCA currently has approximately 90 projects in 40 countries and revenues of approximately $85 million.