OUR BELIZE PROJECT
The Maya Gold Project officially started on 1st September 2003 with the aim of turning the Toledo Cocoa Growers Association (TCGA) into a viable, self-sustaining organisation. This area is the poorest part of Belize and Green & Black's are keen to help the local community improve their quality of life.
To achieve this, the TCGA needs to sell at least 200 tons of Fairtrade cocoa per year which Green & Black's has commited to buy for the Maya Gold bars. This increases the input into the local economy from $40k to $400k, which is the key aim of the whole project. The project is funded by a grant of £225,000 over 3 years from the Department for International Development (DFID) of HM Government, matched by an equivalent sum from Green & Black's Ltd.
Our project manager, Gregor, who is the only non-Mayan involved in the TCGA has recently been over to update the company on the progress that is being made in Belize.
In March 2004 our Head of Operations, Neil La Croix visited Belize: The over-riding impression gained throughout the visit was of great enthusiasm and excitement. There is a strong feeling of ownership among the TCGA Executive and the grower base. The former Chairman of the TCGA Pablo Cal said that he was “very excited about the future of the [cocoa] industry”. Another comment was made by one Peace Corps staffer based in one of the main cocoa growing villages was "there is a lot of pride in the community about the number of cocoa growers".
This is a dramatic turnaround from the situation we faced in June 2003 with declining TCGA membership and static production.
There is now a palpable feeling of excitement and enthusiasm over the Project and cocoa as a crop for smallholders. The new TCGA executive and the Maya Gold Project Manager have done an excellent job in raising awareness of cocoa and in delivering improvements in the management of the TCGA that have engendered a real feeling of ownership of cocoa and the Maya Gold Project. As a result interest in cocoa has moved beyond a limited Mayan farmer base in Toledo District to communities throughout the country. There seems to be real momentum behind the Project which has been mentioned a number of times by the Prime Minister of Belize and has even featured in PM's Questions in the House of Commons in UK.
The British High Commissioner is very enthusiastic about the project and has provided useful support since the project’s inception in September 2003.
The approach to increasing production by the TCGA was threefold:
- Increasing existing production by improved management practices and rehabilitation of hurricane damaged fields
- Further planting by existing farmers and re-invigoration of 'disillusioned' farmers
- New plantings by new farmers.
All three processes are well under way. The original target for the first year of the project was to plant 100,000 trees and recruit 150 farmers by September 2004.
To date the results are as follows:
- In the last year the membership of the TCGA has grown from 170 to 750 farmers
- Many disillusioned farmers are returning and renovating farms
- Yields are rapidly increasing
- 500,000 trees were planted in 2004 over 1300 acres
- G&B's continued with technical advice and management support
- In December 04 1st shipment ever from warehouse to factory, which will ensure fresher beans -This was the largest shipment to date
Any travellers to southern Belize may be interested to have a look at this website which shows the guest house in Punta Gorda where Green & Black's staff stay on their trips & comes highly recommended.
