Jane Naana Calls for Fairness and Sustainability in Global Cocoa Industry  

Brussels ,October 10,2025 - Vice President, Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has emphasized the need for fairness and sustainability in the global cocoa industry. Speaking at the Sustainable Cocoa Initiative Scale-up session on the second day of the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, she highlighted the importance of pricing, value addition, and farmer livelihoods.

Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang noted that Ghana's story, from Tetteh Quarshie's first cocoa beans to over 800,000 cocoa farmers today, reminds us that sustainability must go hand in hand with fairness. She emphasized that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents a powerful platform for building regional value chains that retain more wealth within Africa.

However, the Vice President acknowledged that financing remains a significant challenge. She called for structured blended financing models that combine capital investment with affordable working capital, risk-sharing mechanisms, and technical support, especially for small and rural processors.

She also highlighted the problem of tariff escalation, where duties on processed cocoa products are higher than those on raw beans, hindering Ghana's ability to trade fairly.

The Vice President reaffirmed Ghana's commitment to sustainability and fairness in the cocoa industry. She noted that Ghana's grading and quality control systems remain among the most rigorous in the world and that recent reforms at the Ghana Cocoa Board are designed to ensure fairness and build investor confidence highlighting the Living Income Differential (LID), introduced jointly with Côte d'Ivoire, which reflects Ghana's commitment to ensuring farmers earn a fair return for their labor.

In conclusion, Jane Opoku-Agyemang emphasized that Ghana's path forward is clear: the country must move beyond exporting raw cocoa beans to building an economy that empowers farmers, creates decent jobs, and promotes sustainability. She called for partnerships that combine positive outcomes in disease and pest control with the establishment of commercial plantations to ensure quality and predictability. Together, she said, the global community can build a cocoa sector that not only sweetens the world's palate but enriches the lives of the farmers and communities who make it possible.

Source – Lead News Online