Mr Joseph Boahen-Aidoo, the CEO of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has urged the European Union (EU) to reconsider the element of cocoa pricing in its legislation to ensure the sustainability of the industry and improve the incomes of cocoa farmers. In a meeting with a four-member EU delegation, Boahen-Aidoo stressed that the current legislation cannot sustain the industry and called for particular attention to be paid to cocoa farmers who form the basis for all discussions.
He mentioned that the Living Income Differential (LID) policy was introduced to mitigate poverty among cocoa farmers in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, and that the Board has introduced the Cocoa Management System (CMS) to ensure cocoa traceability and sustainability. However, he stressed that the EU must also fulfill its part of the social contract by paying the right prices for cocoa.
The EU is the world’s largest importer of cocoa, with Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Cameroon being major suppliers of cocoa into the EU market.
Massimo Nina, the Head of Cooperation of the EU delegation to Ghana, who led the team, expressed the EU’s commitment to building stronger relations with COCOBOD in its efforts to ensure traceability and sustainability.
He acknowledged the concerns raised by Joseph Boahen-Aidoo, admitting that the current pricing framework does not match the living income of cocoa farmers in the two leading producing countries, Emphasizing the need for the EU to take steps to ensure that cocoa farmers’ income and livelihoods correspond with their inputs in cocoa production. He commended Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire for introducing the LID policy to mitigate the plight of cocoa farmers and stated that the Union would work closely with collaborators to ensure equitable pricing for cocoa farmers.
BY :AGRIWATCH REPORTER
