Pan-African Network for economic Analysis of Policies

official website

Synopsis

The primary objective of our proposed side-event was to create awareness about the importance of the sustainable cocoa program and its objective to transform the cocoa supply chain, for the benefits of producers, processors and consumers. Specifically, the panel discussion that was organized aimed to:

1. Highlight the challenges facing the cocoa sector in Africa and the need for sustainable practices
2. Discuss the benefits for the different stakeholders of sustainable cocoa
3. Share best practices and innovative solutions for sustainable cocoa farming, processing, and trade
4. Facilitate partnerships between stakeholders in the cocoa value chain to promote sustainable practices and increase the competitiveness of African cocoa in the global market

Summary of panel discussion

The panellists insisted on the interlinkages between the different dimensions of sustainability in the cocoa supply chain:

• The environmental and social sustainability will not be improved if the livelihood of farmers is not improved as well, as farmers will lack the incentives to engage in costly and more labour intensive activities, such as for instance agroforestry farming systems.
• The economic viability of cocoa farms in the medium term will only be ensured if soil fertility is restored, since it represents the major threat for cocoa farming systems in the region (Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana). This issue is however not sufficiently considered by the different stakeholders (private and public bodies) who tend to focus on the symptoms of low soil fertility (for instance, the outbreak of pests and diseases, increasing productivity with the introduction of new cocoa cultivars, focus on pesticide and fertilization programs) rather than on the real cause and engage in improving the soil organic content of cocoa fields.
• The provision of social services is key to ensure that farmers will remain in the cocoa production. Labour costs are already increasing due to shortage of labour and competition with other gainful activities (notably, galamsey i.e. gold mining). The provision of health and education services at community is a way to reduce the living income gap and ensure that the young generation will be attracted by cocoa farming. Land fragmentation is also a major problem notably in Ghana.

Program