ADM Celebrates Fifth Anniversary of Its SERAP Cocoa Certification Program in West Africa

18.11.2010  |  Business Wire

Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) today celebrated its fifth
year of working with West African farmers to produce higher-quality
cocoa crops through the company′s Socially and Environmentally
Responsible Agricultural Practices (SERAP) program. One of the world′s
first sustainable cocoa programs, SERAP encourages farming cooperatives
to work together to address social and environmental issues and offers
financial incentives to help implement sustainable agricultural
practices.

In 2005, ADM worked with West African farming cooperatives to develop
the innovative SERAP program to meet customer requests for sustainable
cocoa that was both traceable and auditable. In 2010, the program
distributed US$1.25 million in funding to cooperatives and their members
in Côte d′Ivoire, raising the total amount provided to participating
cooperatives to more than US$4.5 million.

David Lou?ADM senior agronomist in Cote d′Ivoire, comments: 'These
incentives provide cooperatives and individual farmers with access to
crop protection and agricultural and business training. They also help
improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers and their families through
investments in local education and healthcare initiatives ? all of which
contribute to a better quality of life for growers and their
communities.?

Participation in the SERAP program has tripled since its implementation
in 2005 and has provided almost 49,000 metric tons of sustainable cocoa
during this time. During the initial 2005-2006 growing year, six
cooperatives with approximately 6,000 farmer members participated,
delivering 4,000 metric tons of cocoa. During the 2009-2010 growing
year, the number of participating cooperatives grew to 49, representing
more than 18,000 farmers who together delivered more than 14,000 metric
tons of sustainable SERAP cocoa. Moreover, an analysis of cocoa bean
quality has shown that SERAP participants regularly produce better cocoa
beans with lower moisture levels.

The SERAP program offers a unique pre-certification platform allowing
ADM customers to select the certification system that best suits their
brand. The program is audited annually by the Bureau Veritas Group, and
performance guidelines are based upon four areas: Cooperative
Governance, Quality Management, Social Responsibility and Environmental
Protection.

The SERAP program is also designed to promote social responsibility.
ADM′s experts provide cocoa farmers with information and resources to
educate growers on appropriate labor practices, promote the safe use of
farm chemicals, and educate cocoa farmers and their families about
disease prevention.

Anonklon, a farmer-based cooperative in the Agnibilekrou district, in
the eastern part of Côte d′Ivoire, has been working with ADM for eight
years and has been a member of the SERAP program since 2005. Vam?
M??managing director, comments: 'One key aspect of SERAP is the
education on infectious diseases, particularly the sensitisation to
HIV/AIDS. Now all farmers attending the SERAP seminars have a basic
knowledge of this pandemic. Malaria was included in the sensitisation
modules this year, as well as maternal healthcare. These three subjects
have been tremendously successful in Anonklon farming communities.?

'SERAP is about building a future for cocoa farming communities,?
concludes Lou?'ADM is grateful to the cocoa cooperatives in Côte
d′Ivoire for their hard work and willingness to become partners in
SERAP. Their efforts are a key part of this program being a success, and
by working together we can help improve the livelihoods of the cocoa
communities in which they live.?

About ADM

Every day, the 29,000 people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE:
ADM) turn crops into renewable products that meet the demands of a
growing world. At more than 240 processing plants, we convert corn,
oilseeds, wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, chemical
and energy uses. We operate the world′s premier crop origination and
transportation network, connecting crops and markets in more than 60
countries. Our global headquarters is in Decatur, Illinois, and our net
sales for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, were $62 billion. For
more information about our Company and our products, visit www.adm.com.