Ivory Coast and Ghana continue their deal with multinational chocolates. The two countries, which concentrate two-thirds of the world’s cocoa production, accuse them of refusing to pay the Decent Income Difference (DRD), a premium of $ 400 per tonne for planters.
The regulators, the Ivorian Coffee-Cocoa Council (CCC) and the Ghanaian Cocoa Board (Cocobod), have launched a media campaign against these multinational companies, which are very concerned about their image and the image of cocoa they buy. Multinational companies that have this cocoa certification to ensure that it is not produced by children or that it does not contribute to deforestation. Hershey is one of the companies specifically blacklisted by Ghana and Ivory Coast that suspended it from all of their certification programs.
Discuss the strategy to follow
On Thursday, December 3, the CCC met in Yamoussoukro with four farmers’ organizations to present the situation and discuss the strategy to be followed. “And that multinational companies remain ‘partners’, the rag is really burning. The four planting organizations present also promised to put pressure on the interests of these multinational companies on the ground to influence the discussions, even if it means” boycotting all activities linked to industrialists “. Penatirgué, president of the National Association of Agricultural Cooperatives of Côte d’Ivoire (Anacaci): “We ask them to ensure that we do not reach sabotage activities, boycott activities”.
In the room, dozens of producers, more or less ready to see their cocoa accumulate and no longer see the money coming in. Fanta Bakayoko owns five hectares of cocoa in Séguéla: “A lot of concern, but with what we have just heard, we still have some consolation to be able to continue production. We will support it in addition to cocoa, we make cassava, we make bananas. We will try to support, but we are also obliged to boycott to see what it will bring ”.
Equally concerned, Denis Konan Kouassi, a producer in Toumodi, does not share the optimism of these union leaders who believe that the diversification of crops will enable the plantations to endure: “This struggle is not a small struggle. I, I take the case with myself: apart from my cocoa, I have no other income. We are advised not to deliver cocoa. I have children who go to school. What should I do? You can not say that you can not make cocoa. What is our background? They intend to help us, but the funds are lacking. How do we do?”.
Côte d’Ivoire insures support in the producer struggle
Adama Coulibaly, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, assures us that his government supports the fight between Ivorian and Ghanaian producers: ‘Only 6% of the chocolate industry currently goes to the plantation. It is not acceptable that we can continue with that voice. Therefore, the difference was negotiated by agreement between the parties and the chocolate manufacturer to increase the farmers’ incomes and also increase the quality of production. You should know that this chocolate produced with a decent income difference actually comes from Ghana and Ivory Coast, and that it is a quality label. So we work for the chocolate manufacturers to be able to fulfill their commitments.
For the Minister of Economic Affairs, the discussions are ongoing: “It is not just the Ivorian government, we are coordinating very well with Ghana. I can say that things are going in the right direction and that things will soon return to normal “.
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