Cocoa producers embrace ‘justice with courage’

‘Justice with courage is a thousand men,’ was the quote that summed up President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s words at the African Investment Forum in Sandton last week. Taken from a Handel oratorio titled Judas Maccabaeus, it describes what it takes to reverse centuries of colonial exploitation. It’s a stance that both Ghana and neighbouring Ivory Coast have taken, notes Victor Kgomoeswana in an analysis on the IoL site. He points out that the strategic Ghana-Ivory Coast partnership to produce and market cocoa jointly is a watershed moment. ‘The two west African countries’ combined cocoa production is 65% of the world’s output. If we add Nigeria’s contribution, 65% could easily be 75%. The two have, for decades, contributed the key ingredient to chocolate without commensurate benefits to their farmers, who toiled for a pittance. The global chocolate industry, dominated by Switzerland, France, the US and others, was worth more than $100bn, said President Akufo-Addo. Sadly, he added, the farmers responsible for growing the cocoa received a measly $6bn. 'Such is the injustice of the global commodity markets.’ Kgomoeswana says there is nothing wrong with buying commodities and adding value to them for profit. ‘However, the unfairness of the chocolate industry – as with jewellery, auto-catalytic converters or cobalt in electronic appliances – is that the buyers have not taken much interest in the producers’ welfare.’