WCF is developing a global platform for measuring cocoa sustainability and mapping areas of high conservation value. Under a grant from the Biodiversity and Agricultural Commodities Program (BACP), WCF and their partners are developing biodiversity indicators and data collection methodologies for use with CocoaMAP Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) on People, Planet and Profit to provide a snapshot of progress towards cocoa sustainability.

Clinometer training with smallholder cocoa farmers in Ghana. Photo by World Cocoa Foundation.

 

In October 2013, WCF conducted a field test of methods for measuring biodiversity indicators as part of the CocoaMAP Initiative’s new Farm Inventory Tool (CocoaMAP FIT).

 

With this new tool,  the task of collecting reliable information about biodiversity is made easier and more achievable. Multiple indicators were targeted (number of trees, age, size of farms, etc.) during the one site visit.

 

CocoaMAP FIT was designed as a relatively inexpensive method of collecting high-quality data to be used in CocoaMAP.  Major cost factors in measuring biodiversity indicators are: (a) the time it takes to measure each indicator and (b) the level of expertise the surveyor must have in order to perform the measurements consistently.  CocoaMAP FIT can be easily used by non-specialists, including coca farmers who are the focus of WCF’s mission and program work.

 

The field test of the biodiversity-related CocoaMAP Indicators showed that CocoaMAP FIT presents a very promising opportunity to integrate biodiversity indicator measurement into a versatile tool that partners will find attractive for use. The approach allows for easy expansion of CocoaMAP FIT to include measurement of other farm-level data.  

 

Users can tailor the use of FIT to their unique information needs. For example, information collected about farmers adopting good agricultural practices, such as pruning and removal of diseased cocoa pods, can be easily integrated into the cocoa tree count methodology. The ease-of-use of CocoaMAP FIT will enable biodiversity indicators to be included in more surveys by more non-specialists across the cocoa sector.

 

WCF will continue to develop, refine, and test data collection tools through its CocoaMAP Initiative with the goal of developing a credible and shared resource on cocoa production and sustainability for use by all cocoa industry members and interested stakeholders.