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GrowHer:Kakao

Indonesia’s cacao industry relies heavily on small farms of 2 hectares or less. Among them, approximately 32% of farmers (450,000) are women. These women play essential roles as farmers, household decision-makers, and financial managers. The GrowHer:Kakao project empowers women as leaders in agriculture, ensuring their voices are represented and heard in crucial business decisions, such as the adoption of climate-smart practices and crop diversification.

The GrowHer:Kakao program aims to improve the rights, representation, and access to resources for 4,000 women-led cacao businesses in South Sulawesi.

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Empowering Women in Cacao: The Approach

Stories from the Field
*Names of farmers have been pseuded.

After her husband's passing in 2018, which left SA, a 46-year-old mother of five, in profound shock, SA had to balance household duties along with managing a 2 Ha cocoa farm. She has since become a passionate advocate for women's self-reliance and skill enhancement.

SA*, 46, EAST LUWU, SOUTH SULAWESI, INDONESIA

RA, who primarily handles household tasks, now her husband at the family cocoa farm. Together, they own two cacao fields with 500 trees. She typically only picks and splits the cocoa pods during the harvest season as she doesn't have the requisite skills to manage the farm.

RA*, 40, NORTH LUWU, SOUTH SULAWESI, INDONESIA

DL, a 47-year-old from East Sulawesi, balances managing a 3ha cocoa farm and her household. While overseeing her children's education and the family's finances, she grapples with traditional gender roles and hopes for a future where responsibilities are shared more equitably.