Ivory Coast and Ghana have issued an ultimatum to bean buyers. The two largest producers, which account for 60% of world cocoa production, are demanding that the multinationals respect the premiums paid to farmers. The chocolate industries have until 20 November to pay the premium to producers. Otherwise, both countries will no longer be able to meet the European requirements for sustainable cocoa farming.
According to a statement issued by the Ivorian Coffee and Cocoa Council on Thursday, “After the date of 20 November 2022, the Coffee and Cocoa Council and COCOBOD will make recommendations to their respective governments to take measures up to and including the suspension of all sustainability programmes and the prohibition of access to plantations for crop forecasting.
Ivory Coast and Ghana, the world’s largest cocoa producers, are demanding better remuneration for their farmers. This is a demand that multinationals are struggling to meet. Hence this ultimatum, which follows a meeting a week ago with the sector’s actors in Abidjan. Both countries require a commitment to pay the full ‘decent income gap’ (DID). A premium of $400 per tonne on top of the cocoa price has been in place since last year to ensure the sustainability of the cocoa economy.
In Ivory Coast as in Ghana, cocoa producers are the poor relations of the sector. While the global cocoa and chocolate market is worth billions of dollars per year, these farmers receive only 6% of this revenue.
