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Hanoi, Vietnam, April 16, 2015
—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has signed an agreement with Mondelēz International, one of the world’s largest coffee companies, to train 5,000 coffee farmers in the Dak Lak province in sustainable agricultural practices and business skills over the next three years. The new skills will help farmers increase their yields and improve their livelihoods and sustainability.
The agreement is part of Mondelēz International’s global “Coffee Made Happy” program, which aims to develop 1 million coffee entrepreneurs by 2020. Mondelēz International has also committed to sustainably sourcing 100 percent of its coffee for West European markets by 2015. As the world’s largest Robusta coffee exporter, Vietnam is a key country for Mondelēz International in achieving these targets.
“Our partnership with IFC will create opportunities for more smallholder coffee farmers to participate in our ‘Coffee Made Happy’ program, helping to guarantee the future of quality coffee in Vietnam,” said Malcolm Hett, Coffee Made Happy Program Lead from Mondelēz International. “This project will strengthen our relationship with our supplier network and help Vietnamese farmers improve their agricultural skills, making coffee farming more profitable, sustainable and respected.”
As part of the program, coffee farmers will learn business skills to help them better market and sell sustainable and traceable coffee, which will help link them to the global coffee supply chain and improve their ability to obtain financing from banks to grow their businesses. IFC will also work with its client banks in Vietnam to help develop suitable financial products for the trained coffee farmers.
“IFC and Mondelēz International share a common interest in adding value to the Vietnamese coffee industry and linking coffee growers to a credible and competitive global supply chain so they can realize the industry’s full potential,” said Ian Crosby, IFC’s Manager for Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services Advisory Services in East Asia and the Pacific. “Our combined support will provide unique opportunities for these farmers to develop and grow successful coffee businesses.”
IFC will be implementing the project in collaboration with the Daklak September 2nd Import-Export Co. (Simexco Daklak), a local supplier to Mondelēz International in Vietnam. About 50,000 farmers not affiliated with this project are also expected to benefit indirectly from exposure to best management practices, quality control training, and market and price information disseminated by the project.
IFC’s advisory services in Vietnam’s agricultural sector are delivered in partnership with the Government of Canada. “Canada is supporting Vietnam’s continued economic growth by improving its agricultural competitiveness,” said David Devine, Ambassador of Canada to Vietnam. “With our support and private sector participation, this initiative will benefit thousands of women and men farmers.”
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. Working with private enterprises in about 100 countries, we use our capital, expertise, and influence to help eliminate extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. In FY14, we provided more than $22 billion in financing to improve lives in developing countries and tackle the most urgent challenges of development. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
.
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About Mondelēz International
Mondelēz International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDLZ) is a global snacking powerhouse, with 2014 revenue of $34 billion. Creating delicious moments of joy in 165 countries, Mondelēz International is a world leader in biscuits, chocolate, gum, candy, coffee and powdered beverages, with billion-dollar brands such as Oreo, LU and Nabisco biscuits; Cadbury, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Milka chocolate; Trident gum; Jacobs coffee and Tang powdered beverages. Mondelēz International is a proud member of the Standard and Poor’s 500, NASDAQ 100 and Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Visit
www.mondelezinternational.com
or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/MDLZ.
About Simexco Daklak Ltd.
Daklak September 2nd Import-Export Company Limited (Simexco Daklak), a state-owned company, is recognized as one of the leading Vietnam coffee exporters. Founded in 1993, Simexco Daklak has built a dynamic purchasing network directly from the farm gates and plantations. The company has also invested in modern coffee-processing factories, staff training, and quality control systems in key coffee growing areas of Vietnam. Simexco Daklak focuses on developing and sharing value across the supply chain, especially among farmers and working with more than 12,000 farmers for implementing the sustainable coffee project in Vietnam. Visit
www.simexcodl.com.vn
or follow us on
www.facebook.com/Simexco
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