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Sustainability
Our ethics and governance policies are published in the Standards of Conduct tab of this site. TRS is proud to participate in the following sustainability initiatives ....
Enhancing West Africa cocoa yield estimates, using artificial intelligence
TRS is collaborating with the University of Edinburgh to enhance West Africa cocoa yield estimates, using artificial intelligence.
The cocoa trade is beset by the largest wealth gap between producer and consumer, in our sector. Making yield estimates affordable will make actionable business information accessible to local farmers and co-operatives, via technology. TRS is exploring the use of AI and other technologies to the benefit of farmers, in coffee, sugar and palm oil, too.
Agro-ecological bird sanctuary, at “El Carriqui & El Barranquero”, Colombia
Modern coffee farming practices de-nude the land of the shade and diversity needed for the natural habitat of local birds and wildlife. TRS’ agronomist in Colombia, Nicolas Jara Ordonez and his wife Ana, have partnered with the Rainforest Alliance to convert an old coffee plantation into a combined sustainable coffee farm and bird sanctuary.
The sanctuary provides ecological tours, bird watching, environmental education and ecological awareness retreats during the weekends.
TRS supports the sustainable use of land and the sustainable preservation of wildlife habitats. TRS is proud to be financial sponsor of the “El Carriqui & El Barranquero” bird sanctuary.
Cocoa farmer demonstration plots in Ivory Coast
TRS assists a soft commodity industry giant with its cocoa farmer demonstration plots in Ivory Coast. The aim of the plots is to demonstrate to farmers, government and industry, how improved farm practices can improve productivity and farmer income. TRS’ role is to evaluate cocoa pod development on the demonstration plots, advise on improved practices and to provide a comparison of those findings with TRS’ evaluations of general cocoa pod development, in the region. Improved farm practices increase farmer income, maintaining safe and sustainable use of the land.
Earthquake and Tsunami aid in Indonesia
In September 2018, a powerful earthquake and tsunami devasted the Indonesian city of Palu, on the island of Sulawesi. Our field team, which is based in the city of Makassar, 1,000 kms away, travelled to Palu to aid the local community. Our team used the 2 off-road pickups which we normally use for our regional cocoa and coffee surveys to carry basic health and relief materials. The situation was tense, not only were there aftershocks but there was also looting, along the road to Palu. Our team entered Palu under police escort, in convoy with other relief vehicles. We distributed food, tents, blankets, water, and toiletries. The team undertook a total of 5 trips in to Palu, 3 from Makassar and 2 from the city of Mamuju. In addition to carrying relief materials into the city, the team provided transportation for residents looking to leave Palu to other nearby cities. After distributing aid, the team picked up close relatives who wanted to flee to a safe area.
Our main objective was to help cocoa farmers in the remote regions east of Palu City, which are hard to reach except by four-wheel drive vehicle. Once the situation stabilized, our team resumed normal cocoa surveys in the region. For several months after the event, our team acted as a conduit to ferry donations in the form of supplies to the city and surrounding regions, when visiting the regions on their cocoa surveys. TRS’ relies on the assistance and co-operation of local farmers and communities to perform their work. We are proud to assist local communities, in times of need.
