Signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Between GIZ-GRASS and Kalara Borneo

Building on previous capacity-building efforts by GIZ for cocoa farmers in northern Kapuas Hulu, the GRASS project continues to support these farmers with a focus on intercropping principles and post-harvest techniques, such as fermentation. To further improve their skills and market readiness, GRASS provides additional training, conducts study visits to the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Center (ICCRI), and strengthens farmer organizations.

To connect farmers with reliable markets, GRASS has facilitated a partnership with a social enterprise, Kalara Borneo, based in Pontianak. Kalara Borneo specializes in sustainable products from West Kalimantan and is committed to purchasing all sustainably produced cocoa from farmers at a premium price. The social enterprise has also officially launched its single-origin Kapuas Hulu chocolate made exclusively from cocoa sourced directly from GRASS-supported farmers.

To formalize this collaboration, an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) was signed on December 5, 2024 in Pontianak by the founder of Kalara Borneo, Mrs. Yohana Tamara Yunisa, and the GRASS Commission Manager, Mr. Per Rasmussen. The signing ceremony was inaugurated by a delegation from the German Embassy in Indonesia represented by the Deputy Head of Mission, Mr. Thomas Graf, and the BMZ Representative, Mr. Oliver Hoppe.

"I feel very helped by the collaboration with the GRASS project, because realizing the success of the cocoa supply chain from upstream to downstream cannot be done alone," said Yohana Tamara. With a reliable market and premium pricing through this agreement, it is hoped that more farmers will be encouraged to view cocoa as a viable commodity, able to increase income, and support ecological sustainability.