Did you know that for every kilogram of #cashew nuts produced, more than 10 kilograms of cashew apples are thrown away? We have been running a pilot project in Côte d'Ivoire 🇨🇮 to explore how best to turn the apple into juice, and in doing so help to raise farmers’ incomes and create new jobs.

In the last 2 months, we distributed than 5,000 improved #cocoa seedlings to over 700 #farmers and over 9,500 multipurpose #trees were distributed to 1,200 farmers in 17 communities in #Nigeria. This initiative will also ensure proper long-term #seedling care so that they can grow to maturity.

Around 90% of women in Nestlé's Income Accelerator communities in Côte d'Ivoire are illiterate, significantly impacting their ability to diversify their incomes. To address this, we are training facilitators to deliver literacy training to 900 women across 30 communities. #WomenEmpowerment

Under the Cocoa and Forest Initiative we have: 🌱 Helped farmers plant over 293,424 multipurpose #trees 🌳 Restored 186 hectares of degraded land by planting over 198,000 native forest trees 👩🏽‍🌾 Trained over 23,000 farmers in climate-smart #agroforestry Read more: beyondbeans.org/wp-content/u...

We are excited to kick off the 2nd year of the diversified income initiative under Nestlé’s Income Accelerator Program in Ghana 🇬🇭! Together with PDA Ltd we have been introducing farmers to the goals, focussing on why income diversification is important and the benefits it brings. #FarmerLivelihoods

As the new Farm of the Future project takes off in #Ghana, we held a workshop for field staff and the 10-member labour group working on the demo plot. Participants learned pruning, dynamic #agroforestry planting designs, species selection, proper planting techniques and post-planting care.

Yesterday, our #Ghana team painted the Mantukwa Community red to raise awareness on #MenstrualHygieneDay. They organised events to counter the taboos that are common around menstruation in the community and handed out sanitary kits to schoolgirls. #KeepGirlsInSchool #PeriodFriendlyWorld

Our community development team in #Ghana 🇬🇭 has been holding awareness sessions to address #childlabour. During the sessions, our team sensitised community members on child labour and child work and the need to form a Community Child Protection Committee. #Cocoa #Sustainability #EndChildLabour

Our new project, funded by Danida Green Business Partnerships, aims to enhance cocoa yields through pruning and planting #agroforestry trees and improve the livelihoods of 5,000 #cocoa farmers in #Ghana through income diversification. Read more here ⤵️ beyondbeans.org/2025/05/19/c...

Mercy Gbolowu works on child protection and promoting access to #education in our supply chain in #Ghana 🇬🇭. She says: “When I ride my motorbike it sends a powerful message. It's a simple act, but it breaks barriers and encourages a shift in mindset, particularly for young girls.” #OurPeople

Yesterday, we handed a classroom block with washroom facilities over to the community of Ntinanko in Ghana 🇬🇭 The project, funded by Nestlé and implemented with the International Cocoa Initiative & CM Limited, is designed to improve access to quality education. #EducationForAll #School #Education

This year’s pruning season under the Income Accelerator Program is seeing something new: women stepping into roles traditionally held by men. Two pruning groups from the community of Fumso Ketewa in Ghana 🇬🇭 are leading the way, with six new female members. 💪🏽 #GenderEquity #Cocoa #WomenEmpowerment

We recently trained 13 farmers in Côte d'Ivoire 🇨🇮 on #biochar, #compost and #fertilizer application. Each farmer will test different blends on their plantation, and in the harvest period, we will record how the different blends have influenced #cocoa yields in comparison to the 2024 baseline.

We're piloting black soldier fly 🪰 farms in Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮 to recycle waste ♻️, feed chickens 🐓, enrich cocoa farm soil 🌱, and boost income 💰. The project, part of Nestlé’s Income Accelerator, seeks to empower women and improve soils, food security, and livelihoods. #EarthDay2025 #SoilHealth

Meet Rosemary Asiamah, our #HR & Operations Manager in #Ghana 🇬🇭. She’s passionate about problem solving, supporting career development, and making everyone feel valued. She says: “I love my work, being part of a team that has a meaningful #impact on farming families gives me a sense of purpose.”

Last week we held a practical training for 26 farmers at the Etomi demo plot in Cross River State, #Nigeria. Participants learned how to prepare #compost using locally available materials such as poultry droppings, #cocoa pod husks, and plant leaves—reducing the need for chemical fertilizers.

We are pleased to see that the hard work of our staff is making a difference. The results of this year’s #Chocolate Scorecard show we have climbed to 7th position, up from 13th place last year. Read more here: www.chocolatescorecard.com/scorecards #Sustainability #Cocoa #EthicalChocolate

Under ASASE project in #Ghana 🇬🇭, 3,186 tree and 3,147 land ownership documents have been distributed to farmers. The land rights documents have helped prevent land disputes and tree registration has encouraged farmers to adopt #agroforestry and plant more #trees 🌳.

Together with Nestlé and Child Rights International we have donated two tricycles to improve access to #education for children in remote communities in #Ghana. This is a vital step forward to increasing attendance and reducing #school dropouts in these under-served communities. #EducationforAll

Yobouet Bi, a Beyond Beans field agent since 2021, works in Duékoué in the west of Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮 He reaches out to cocoa-growing families and talks to them about the dangers of #childlabour. He also helps to find remediation solutions when children are found in child labour. #EndChildLabour

The ‘Farm of the Future’ project is taking off 🚀 This week our team in #Ghana took staff from RVO, the project funders, to visit Afua Pokua’s six hectare farm in Meduma in the Noskote district of Ghana to see how the project will implement #agroforestry on a model #cocoa farm.

This week, representatives from our partner @oxfamnovib.bsky.social and funder Netherlands Enterprise Agency visited Côte d'Ivoire to meet households in the EnRoute project. They visited a Village Savings & Loan Association which helps members save and access loans for small business investments 🚀

We know quality of #education often has an impact on school drop-out rates and the prioritisation of work over study. To help avoid this in #Nigeria, we distribute educational materials and talk to students and their parents about the importance of education and the negative impact of #childlabour.

A year ago, we launched a #beekeeping 🐝 initiative in Côte d'Ivoire with UBEES under the Nestlé Income Accelerator Program. It empowers women by diversifying their incomes through honey production. 25 women were trained and 9 have just harvested 38kg of #honey! Next year, we scale up to 135 women.

We are partnering with Webmate Ghana to digitise our #VSLAs in #Ghana. The secretaries from 24 groups have been trained, and members are already seeing the benefits, with real-time updates and texts, and enhanced transparency and control. To find out more watch the video: youtu.be/faoKtGB-CGs

At the recent 2025 World Cashew Conference, our Cashew Sustainability Manager, Julie Ludvigsen, discussed rising global #cashew demand, evolving supply chains, #sustainability, and how we are proud to have launched the first Rainforest Alliance-certified cashew on the market, and are now scaling-up.

Odile Ani from #Togo is active in the community. She joined one of our VSLAs and is a member of the Nomessi women’s group. With our help, they make soap 🧼 from #cocoa pod waste, producing 40 bars weekly to sell in Kpalimé. Their goal: expand and reach wider markets. beyondbeans.org/2025/02/26/b...

Together with Nestlé, we are helping to protect community forests in Côte d’Ivoire and restore these vital ecosystems with innovative approaches to sequester #carbon. Read more on page 30 of 'Creating Shared Value at Nestlé 2024' here: www.nestle.com/sites/defaul... #CreatingSharedValue #cocoa

Galamsey (illegal gold mining) in #Ghana has devastated forests and #cocoa farms. In 2023, with community support, we began restoring 16 hectares in Dinkyiea. Steps include leveling, drainage, cover crops, soil stabilization, and planting native trees. Now the prep for tree planting is underway!

In #Ghana, our Village Savings & Loan Associations #VSLAs are making a difference. With 259 active groups and 7,273 members (62% women) trained in business and income-generating activities, these associations have saved GH₵ 5,546,860 to help expand their farms, buy agri-inputs, & pay school fees.

In #Ghana, under Nestlé’s Income Accelerator Program, we have delivered 39,580 fruit and timber tree seedlings for #agroforestry projects on #cocoa farms, providing food, income, and increasing resilience. This year, we will deliver 40,000 more seedlings to be planted across 2,000 ha of farms.

Many kids in rural Nigeria 🇳🇬 lack birth certificates, limiting access to vital services such as education and healthcare. We are working with communities and local authorities to help children get their certificates, an important step to address #childlabour in #cocoa supply chains.

Meet Michael Ekuli Ojong, a cocoa farmer from Biajua, #Nigeria. Through our 'Cocoaching' project, Michael adopted sustainable farming practices. He now manages over 4,000 #cocoa trees and 100 shade trees. With our ongoing help his farm is becoming more sustainable and its productivity has increased.

In Ghana 🇬🇭, we are in the final phase of the VSLA digitization project. This week, we are training secretaries from 24 Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) to use the WebMate #VSLA app to manage meetings. Digitization will ease calculations, save time, and allow financial progress.

Last week, our #Nestlé Income Accelerator Program team in #Ghana hosted the Learning Meeting 2025 with our partners. Over three days, they reviewed Year 1's achievements, co-created solutions for #sustainable and scalable impact, and finalised an actionable roadmap for income-generating activities 🚀

We supported cocoa farmers from Onimu, Opu, Bendeghe, and Etomi in #Nigeria, by establishing Village Savings and Loans Associations. The members have saved over 7.6 million Naira, which allowed them to take out loans for essential needs such as their children’s #school fees. #DiversifiedIncomes

Through the CLEF coalition 4,277 out-of-school children in remote rural areas of Côte d'Ivoire, most of whom had not been enrolled in #school before, have been integrated into formal schools after following an accelerated learning programme. Read more: www.ubs.com/global/en/su... #EducationForAll

Through the Nestlé Income Accelerator Program, we support #cocoa-farming families by promoting #school enrolment, good agricultural practices, agroforestry, and diversified incomes. We have set up VSLAs which empower women like Hannah Awuni in #Ghana, by helping them to save and access loans.

As part of the Midjo project, supported by Strauss Group and RVO, we help Togo's #cocoa farmers adopt good agricultural practices and diversify their incomes. Kossi, a #VSLA member, not only saves for his family but for the whole community—read more in his story ⤵️ beyondbeans.org/2025/01/08/t...

In Côte d'Ivoire, our regional supervisors trained field officers from 15 cooperatives on ‘Cocoaching,’ our #cocoa farmer coaching approach. Over five days, they covered surveys, pruning, weeding, pest control, fertilization, and #agroforestry. We aim to coach 2,585 farmers in the 2024/25 season.

The ‘Beyond Beans’ 2025 calendar 📆 is OUT NOW! 😀 It highlights key projects, and shows how we help to enhance livelihoods, build resilient communities, and preserve nature. It is our gift 🎁 to you, download it for free, print (if you want) and enjoy!   Get it here: beyondbeans.org/wp-content/u...

Seasons Greetings and happy holidays🎄from everyone at ETG | Beyond Beans. We want to thank all our partners, donors, and hard-working staff who made our work possible in 2024. Together, we made a difference to thousands of cocoa #farmers and their families ❤️ #thankyou #cocoa #sustainability

Tayba and her family from Bodwensango in Ghana 🇬🇭 have experienced the positive impact of the Nestlé Income Accelerator Program. She used the cash incentive she received for enrolling her children in education to buy school books and to give them pocket money. #educationforall #cocoa #education

Our community development team in #Ghana has started digitising our Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) with training on the WebMate VSLA app, which we hope will enhance the efficiency, transparency, and accessibility of #financial services for #farmer households in rural areas.

Last week, our community development team leads from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria met up to finalise strategic key performance indicators and develop theories of change for Community Development and Farmer Livelihoods, to help us have even greater impact! #cocoa #sustainability #comdev

🚨 Job Alert 🚨 - ¡Estamos Contratando! We are looking for a new Sustainability Manager to be the face of Beyond Beans in #Ecuador 🇪🇨 and lead a small local team of certification officers and consultants. For full details please visit our website. #job #vacancy #sustainability #jobalert #cocoa

Our #Agroforestry and Environment team in #Nigeria has been busy distributing over 19,200 improved #cocoa and 11,900 multipurpose tree seedlings 🌱 to 29 communities. The improved varieties are designed to fruit early, be resistant to black pod disease, and deliver high yields.

In Bediala, in the Sassandra-Marahoué district of Côte d’Ivoire, the local school accommodates more than 1,000 pupils. With the support of Ferrero, we renovated 4 classrooms, making the spaces brighter, cleaner and more conducive to study #sustainability #educationforall #school #renovation #cocoa

Under the Nestlé Income Accelerator Program in #Ghana, we have formed, trained and equipped 70 pruning 🪚 groups with 700 members. The groups have pruned over 1,295 hectares of #cocoa farms, creating local employment and allowing 1,917 cocoa farming households to benefit from increased yields ⬆️.