Accra, Sept. 18 - The Ghana Cocoa
Board (COCOBOD) and Solidaridad West Africa have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding to implement initiatives and offer technical support aimed at
enhancing diversification, alongside cocoa intensification towards boosting the
incomes of producers.
The MOU seeks to boost support
for market transformation by working simultaneously with relevant stakeholders
and actors within the cocoa sector, a statement issued by Cocobod and copied to
the Ghana News Agency, in Accra, on Tuesday stated.
Under the Agreement, COCOBOD
would continue to provide technical and advisory support to the various cocoa
programmes managed by Solidaridad West Africa.
These include ‘The Next
Generation Cocoa Programme (MASO) funded by the MasterCard Foundation’ and the
‘Cocoa Rehabilitation and Intensification Programme (CORIP) Phase II’ funded by
the Dutch Government with support from the cocoa industry companies and other
financial inclusion partners.
The MOU was signed between Mr.
Joseph Boahen Aidoo, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board and Mr.
Isaac Gyamfi, Regional Director for Solidaridad West Africa, the statement
said.
“The agreement is to enhance the
relationship with Solidaridad at a time the Government of Ghana is pursuing
strategic partnerships for cocoa sustainability actions in Ghana,” it said.
“We are confident that under this
arrangement, the cocoa sector can benefit enormously from Solidaridad’s
expertise in stimulating the cocoa supply chain through innovations in good
practices and sustainable landscapes management.”
Solidaridad pledged its
commitment to support the continual improvement of sustainable cocoa production
systems in Ghana through rehabilitation and intensification approaches that
seek to reduce the current area under cultivation, the statement said.
It said Solidaridad committed to
free land for other agricultural activities, while maintaining the high profitability
of the cocoa industry.
“We are determined to work with
Cocobod to pursue conscious programming on diversification alongside cocoa
intensification, as this can boost the incomes of producers and build
resilience for any potential farmgate price volatility”.
Cocobod is the national body
responsible for policy and regulation of production, processing and marketing
of Cocoa, whereas Solidaridad is an international Civil Society Organisation
with 50 years of global experience in facilitating the development of socially
responsible, ecologically sound and profitable supply chains towards an
inclusive economy.
The two partners will explore
deeper working relationship as far as COCOBOD’s own programming is concerned.
This would ensure consistency and alignment of programmes implemented by both
institutions towards a vibrant and resilient cocoa economy of Ghana.
GNA
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