Ghana Chocolate | The Cocoa Life of Ghana Farmers
Ghana Cocoa Story
Ghana is the second largest producer of cocoa on
international level. Ghana chocolate cocoa beans
are the benchmark in terms of quality in international market. Over 90% of Ghana’s
cocoa is grown in small farms of 5 to 15 hectares. The main cocoa growing areas
are Volta, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Eastern, Western and Central regions of Ghana.
Ghana exports most of its cocoa to Europe and North America, where it is processed and turned into chocolate. There are big bucks are in chocolate.Ghana is trapped in atrade relationship with Europe and struggling to process the chocolate itself. Ghana makes very little of the industry's profit by selling raw cocoa.The chocolate compaines play in billions of dollars, but cocoa farmers are struggling to make a living income.
Ghana Farmers aren’t benefitted from World’s Billion Dollars Ghana Chocolate industry.
In 2019, global chocolate industry was valued at 130 billion
US Dollars. But Ghana farmers are not much benefited from the cocoa production.
Most of them hardly earn $2 a day. Each year, over 500,000 tonnes of cocoa are
hauled from farms of Ghana and shipped to the industrialized world for the
production of chocolates and allied products. These also include big companies
from Hershey to Mars and Nestle.
Ghana Farmers work For Landlords
Almost 800,000 farmers and their families do not have
secured rights to the land they farm. As many of them work as sharecroppers on
land owned by distant landlords. This restricts cocoa farmers and limits their
expansion of farms and how much cocoa they can grow. It also has limitation on
their income and perpetuates poverty.
Climate Change has made Farming Hard
Climate change had resulted in intense rainfall variations,
higher temperatures and weather unpredictability. Increased rain and wet
seasons slow the drying and processing of cocoa beans. This reduces the value
of the bean and increases the cost of processing with negative impacts on cocoa
and food production.
A major concern is that climate change is negatively
affecting soil health and fertility as well. Land in many regions has become
infertile and trees are old. This reduces the productivity of the land and
affect food production and cocoa yields.
Aging Farmers and Lack of Youth Motivation
Many cocoa farmers are overaged, most of them are in their fifties.
There is a need to encourage more young people to venture into cocoa farming to
replace the aging farmers. This is vital but there is no comprehensive plan to
motivate the youth to take on cocoa farming and replace aging farmers.
Lack of pension schemes for cocoa farmers
World’s obsession with chocolate soars and 100 billion
dollars chocolate industry plays in the profits. But cocoa farmers in Ghana who
work extremely hard to produce quality cocoa for export still live below the
international poverty line.
Ghana chocolate cocoa farming is Gender Biased
Thousands of women in Ghana are active in the cultivation of
cocoa. From pruning of young cocoa plants to drying and fermentation of cocoa beans - they are working hard. Despite these roles, which are critical for
increasing yields and ensuring sustained productivity and the production of high-quality
Ghana chocolate, women’s work is seen as
family labour and goes unpaid.
When they are paid, their remuneration was less than their male counterparts.
Injuries and Health Hazards
The production of
cocoa in Ghana is filled with numerous health hazards and injuries. This
includes cuts from cutlasses, spider and insect-bites, stings from bees and
wasps, scorpions as well as lower back pains and effects of pesticide use.
These threats are common during pre-planting, clearing, planting, post-planting
and post-harvesting of pods.
There were the complaints that the non-availability of
anti-snake-vaccines at health facilities in the cocoa growing districts has resulted
in loss of limbs or death of farmers.
No good road networks
There are no good road networks and other social
amenities in the cocoa growing communities which would help improve the
quality of life. Even conveying your cocoa beans to the weighing centres is a
problem because there are no roads linking cocoa farms or communities to the
major roads leading to the marketing centres.
Signs of Hope for Ghana Cocoa Farming
Efforts for Eradicating Child labour
The human rights groups, consumers, media, advocacy groups
and academic institutions in Ghana and the West continue to focus the world’s
attention on child labour in Ghana. The government of Ghana makes a progress
with the rescue of several children from cocoa farms and other exploitative
forms of child labour. Several laws and treaties are signed that aim at the
prevention and withdrawal of children from hazardous work on cocoa farms.
Ghana Chocolate Entrepreneurs
There are also some entrepreneurs who are trying to open
chocolate factories in Ghana. They say that they are trying to decolonize
chocolate industry. And make chocolate right here in Ghana. Government has also
started funding the Ghana chocolate entrepreneurs. But how far these reforms could
go?
Ghana and Ivory Coast Teamed up for Farmers
To help raise farmer wages, Ghana and its neighbour Ivory
Coast teamed up in 2019.They introduced the fixed price system that set the
floor price of chocolate cocoa. In 2020, Ghana set the price floor at $2600 a
metric ton. This also include $400 a premium added to every ton of cocoa. The
premium is called the Living Income Differential (LID). It was first of its
kind in chocolate industry.
It meant farmer took
home almost 30% more money. At first big companies agreed to pay the LID. But
soon after the program launch, reports surfaced accusing Hershey’s of buying
cocoa without paying the premium.
In an email to Business Insider, the company said:
Hershey supports and participates in the LID (Living Income Differential).
We recognize this as an important mean to support the livelihood of cocoa
farmers in Ghana.
When the cooperation’s do pay, it has really helped the
farmers.
(Quoted From
Business Insider)
Nutritional and medicinal value of cocoa
Cocoa beans have
originated around 1900 BC, over 3000 years ago. In Central and North America, it
had been
used as a drink and for medicinal purposes.
· 1- Antioxidants found in cocoa such as phenolic phytochemicals are helpful in the treatment of Alzheimer diseases and other cardiovascular diseases because they neutralize the oxidative effects of free radicals that destroy cells and tissues.
2-Flavanols, theobromine, and other components found in cacao
may lower blood pressure and improve blood flow and enhance circulation by
reducing plaque build-up on artery walls and promoting dilation and health of
blood vessels.
Dark Ghana chocolate with high content of Cocoa is also highly nutritious.
1- It keeps you awake. It contains stimulants like caffeine and
theobromine that keeps you awake especially at night.
2- It has antioxidant properties. cocoa has highest ORAC (oxygen
radical absorbance capacity). This shows its high antioxidant property.
3- Flavanols stimulate endothelium lining that relax
arteries and increase blood flow, reducing blood pressure.
4- Increased blood flow also helps in hydrating skin.
5- It boosts immunity and brain health.
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