How Sweet It Is! More Than Just A Valentine's Gift: Cocoa Brings New Opportunities To Women Farmers In West Africa 1/30/2002
From: Michael Rubinstein, 202-862-5670, m.rubinstein@cgiar.org; Janet Hodur, 202-862-8177, j.hodur@cgiar.org; or Michele Pietrowski, 202-862.5679, m.pietrowski@cgiar.org; all of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Web site: http://www.ifpri.org News Advisory: Chocolate is popular this time of year, a classic gift for one's sweetheart on Valentine's Day. Women in Ghana and other parts of West Africa celebrate chocolate for a different reason. To them, cocoa is more than a luxury food. It is a cash crop, and growing it on their small farms brings them stronger land rights, security for their children's future, and a way to break out of poverty. Researchers at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) have surveyed farmers throughout villages in Western Ghana to learn how cocoa benefits women, their families, their communities, and the environment. WHAT: Morning briefing for journalists on how cocoa farming benefits women farmers and the environment in West Africa WHO: -- Agnes Quisumbing, senior research fellow, IFPRI -- Keijiro Otsuka, professorial fellow, Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 7, 10-11 a.m. WHERE: The International Food Policy Research Institute 2033 K Street NW, 4th Floor Washington, D.C. (Entrance on 21st Street between K & L Streets) An assortment of chocolates and coffee will be served Agnes Quisumbing and Keijiro Otsuka are available for interviews about their research on empowering women through cocoa farming. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty. IFRPI is one of 16 Future Harvest Centers and receives its principal funding from 58 governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations known as the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. |