A multi-stakeholder platform designed to coordinate and track cocoa sector performance in Ghana was launched yesterday in Accra by the European Union.The platform known as the "Ghana Cocoa Monitor Programme" is part of a broader effort to improve the sustainability of the cocoa industry in Ghana, including initiatives focused on productivity, environmental protection, and social responsibility.It has brought together key institutions, including the COCOBOD, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources, on the platform to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the cocoa sector by fostering collaboration and information sharing among various stakeholders.The EU Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Irchad Razaaly, who launched the platform, believed it would facilitate collaboration among different stakeholders, including government agencies, research institutions, farmers, and private sector companies, to address challenges and opportunities in the cocoa sector.He said the cocoa sector was not just the backbone of Ghana's economy but the livelihood of millions of farming households, the source of cultural identity, and a product that connected Ghana to consumers across Europe and the world.Mr Razaaly also indicated that about 60 per cent of Ghana's cocoa beans were bought by the EU, and that the EU had taken the responsibility to ensure that Ghana's cocoa sector performs well to improve the lives of players in the industry."We recognise the challenges, including environmental degradation, child labour, low farmers' incomes, and market vulnerability that demand a collective and coordinated response.That is why the EU, through our Sustainable Cocoa Initiative, is proud to support the establishment of the Ghana Cocoa Monitor platform," he explained.Furthermore, Mr Razaaly noted that the platform represented a turning point where institutions had to work closely in ensuring the improvement in Ghana's cocoa industry, stressing that "the EU remains committed to supporting Ghana's Cocoa sector through various initiatives, including strengthening its traceability."The Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation of COCOBOD, Dr Isaac Manu, commended the EU for establishing the platform, stating that, unlike other past platforms, a lot of stakeholders had expressed interest and enthusiasm to ensure that the platform works and becomes sustainable.He said COCOBOD was aware of the numerous challenges that the industry was currently facing, including but not limited to low income, as issues of climate change remained very key to the long-term sustainability of the cocoa sector."And these are issues which cannot be addressed only by COCOBOD.
It requires the collective effort of stakeholders, and a platform such as this presenting us with a unique opportunity to address some of these issues.So we are very excited that such a platform is established and we thank Civil Society Organisation, governments, and all partners present here today to see the successful implementation of the platform," Dr Manu stated. BY BERNARD BENGHAN
