Cocoa farmer: Stakeholders in the cocoa value chain must deal with the issue of sustainability

Nana Okofo Apetu II, a cocoa farmer, has emphasised the need for stakeholders in the cocoa value chain to deal with the challenge of sustainability in Ghana.

She said the move will create a more sanitised environment for the proper development of the cocoa industry.

Speaking with Kwaku Nhyira-Addo on the Asaase Breakfast Show (ABS) on Thursday (20 October 2022), Nana Okofo Apetu II said: “… it is clear that we need to sit up and refocus our attention on evolving our cocoa sector for the better.

“I believe that the future for cocoa farming is in making it attractive to young people to engage in by leasing lands to them to engage in cocoa production.

“Another point of reference that remains ever essential is the need for support from the various [parts of the] governmental machinery to help solve teething issues for our farmers,” she said.

“It is important that all stakeholders in the cocoa value chain come together to deal with the issue of sustainability that we face … to create a more sanitised environment.”

Also speaking on the ABS, Gladys Amoah, the managing director of Niche Confectionary (Ghana) Ltd, said: “To realise growth in our cocoa sector we need to look at the whole cocoa value chain … from its use as fertiliser, food, to its medicinal usage and much more.

“I think there is scope for more players in the cocoa processing sector … The more players we have in a sector, the more growth it will see and the more benefits the economy will also see in the long run,” Amoah said.

“… when the sector is looked at from this point of view, then there is a lot of money that can be generated while creating sustainable jobs for the citizenry across the cocoa value chain, from the production stage through to the processing stage,” she added.

Watch the full interview below:

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