The 7th Steering Committee Meeting of the Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative was opened in Abidjan by Minister for Finance Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, who called for increased cooperation between the two largest cocoa-producing nations in the world to make the industry more resilient, prosperous, and profitable for farmers.
Senior government officials, industry stakeholders, and representatives from both nations attended the meeting, which included Dr. Randy Abbey, Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), to discuss strategies to improve farmer incomes, strengthen cooperation, and address new issues facing the cocoa industry.
Dr. Forson, the meeting’s chair, emphasised the value of ongoing communication and increased collaboration between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, pointing out that the alliance is still essential to ensuring the survival of the cocoa industry.
“While we may not be able to resolve all our challenges here today, our collective determination to make a genuine and lasting positive impact on our farmers, our countries, and future generations should remain the driving force that guides our work,” he stated.
“The relevance and necessity of this collaboration are undeniable, and we must ensure that it succeeds,” he reiterated.
Dr. Forson emphasised that rather than only responding to disruptions in the global market, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, the two countries that produce the most cocoa worldwide, have a shared duty to create the industry’s future.
“As the world’s two leading cocoa-producing countries, we must engage more consistently and strategically to protect our economies. By doing so, we can better anticipate challenges, mitigate shocks, and shape the future of the industry rather than merely reacting to its disruptions,” he stated.
The Finance Minister urged attendees to concentrate on workable solutions that would improve the collaboration and provide real advantages to cocoa growers.
He underlined, “The cocoa sector deserves to be transformed into one that is more resilient, prosperous, and profitable for the benefit of both our countries and our farmers.”
Bruno Nabagné Koné, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food Production for Côte d’Ivoire, also spoke at the meeting and emphasised the value of working together to address the issues affecting the cocoa industry.
“We have gathered because we are combining our efforts. I do count on your spirit of responsibility,” he remarked.
Minister Koné emphasised the necessity of closer cooperation and more harmonisation of cocoa pricing policies between the two nations in order to ensure respectable incomes for cocoa producers.
“Ensuring decent income and justice through harmonisation of prices is critical. Cocoa must first of all guarantee a worthy lifestyle for farmers,” he stated.
The governments of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire collaborated to create the Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative in order to improve the livelihoods of millions of cocoa farmers whose livelihoods depend on the industry, boost their position in the global cocoa market, and coordinate cocoa policy.
It is anticipated that the 7th Steering Committee Meeting would result in specific proposals meant to strengthen ties between the two nations and forward initiatives to create a more resilient, profitable, and sustainable cocoa sector.
Source: newsthemegh.com