The
Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has been challenged to position itself in a lead role
in the production of certified and traceable cocoa.
As the global chocolate and cocoa industry
rapidly moves towards certified and sustainable cocoa marketing, Ghanaian licensed
buying companies are increasingly falling in line.
However
most of the certification programmes are driven by international Fair trade organizations
like UTZ and Rainforest Alliance.
Cocoa
Merchants Limited, for instance, is hoping to produce certified cocoa from
November this year.
Managing
Director, Nana Amo Adade Boamah, believes the interest of the local cocoa
industry would be better served when the COCOBOD begins to establish Ghanaian
standards in the cocoa trade.
“We
should begin to have Ghana standards where all the people who buy Ghana cocoa
would know and submit themselves to it… otherwise the industry will be driven
by external factors and forces to the detriment of us”, suggested Nana Boamah.
Cocoa
certification and traceability require that farmers’ social, environmental and
economic activities are in line with legitimate and best labour practices, in
exchange for a premium price on the produce.
Nana
Boamah says making governance as part of routine activities on cocoa farms will
help improve performance and expenditure of farmers.
“One
of the tenets of this sustainable production is to empower the farmer in best
agronomic practices, teaches them to avoid child labour and how to protect the
environment”, he said.
He
also says fertilizer importing companies must be mandated to build warehouses at
regional depots in order to get farm inputs close to cocoa producing districts.
Cocoa
Merchants Company achieved almost five percent market share in cocoa purchase in
the last crop season.
The
company has rewarded best performing farmers at a ceremony in Kumasi. Close to
100 cocoa farmers received tricycles, bicycles, LED television sets,
refrigerators and computers.
Story
by Kofi Adu Domfeh
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