InfoSAWIT, YOGYAKARTA – Global food company Cargill has urged closer collaboration across Indonesia's cocoa value chain, emphasizing that higher farm productivity, responsible sourcing, and product innovation are essential to strengthening the country's competitiveness in regional and international markets.
The message was delivered during the 9th Indonesia International Cocoa Conference (IICC), held in Yogyakarta from July 22–24, where government officials, industry leaders, farmers, researchers, and other stakeholders gathered to discuss the future of Indonesia's cocoa sector.
Cargill believes Indonesia possesses a solid foundation as one of the world's cocoa-producing nations while offering significant opportunities to expand its role as a supplier of value-added cocoa products across the Asia-Pacific region.
Kashan Rashid, Vice President & Managing Director of Cargill Food Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, said Indonesia remains a key pillar of the company's regional cocoa growth strategy.
To support this ambition, Cargill continues to strengthen partnerships with cocoa farmers, invest in domestic processing capacity, promote responsible cocoa sourcing, and develop products that align with evolving consumer demand.
Consumer preferences across Asia are also creating fresh opportunities for Indonesia's cocoa industry. Findings from the APAC IngredienTracker study indicate growing acceptance of cocoa ingredients in chocolate, bakery products, desserts, biscuits, and dairy applications.
In Indonesia, consumer awareness of sustainability is also increasing. The survey found that 76% of respondents prefer products made with locally sourced ingredients, while 91% prioritize food and beverages produced with environmental and social responsibility in mind.
These trends are reinforcing the importance of traceability, sustainable farming practices, and product innovation to meet both regional and global market expectations.
Beyond downstream investment, Cargill continues expanding its Cargill Cocoa Promise program to improve farmer livelihoods and strengthen resilient cocoa supply chains.
During 2026, more than 7,800 Rainforest Alliance-certified farmers received premium payments totaling approximately Rp38.8 billion. Over the past five years, the company has also helped establish eight community nurseries, distributed approximately 96,000 cocoa seedlings, planted 44,000 shade trees, and supported 52 Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) groups.
The company has also implemented farmer-level cocoa traceability, farm mapping, and deforestation risk assessments while providing training in good agricultural practices to improve productivity and sustainability.
Cargill believes the future success of Indonesia's cocoa industry will depend on stronger collaboration among farmers, government institutions, and private companies to build sustainable value chains, increase domestic value addition, and safeguard access to key export markets. (T2)
Source: Cargill
