The cocoa sector in Côte d’Ivoire faces many challenges, particularly with regard to the sustainability of agricultural practice. To address these issues, a civil society platform was recently launched, with the aim of supporting planters towards a more sustainable practice.
With nearly a million producers, the cocoa sector is one of the pillars of the Ivorian economy. However, standards for sustainability and traceability are becoming increasingly strict, particularly in Europe, the main destination for Ivorian cocoa beans. This is why this civil society platform project aims to support planters in this transition towards more sustainable practices.
The main objective of this initiative is to popularize the standards of the sector among producers. Indeed, it is essential that they understand the issues linked to sustainability, but also to product traceability. By adopting sustainable agricultural practices, growers will be able to meet the requirements of new regulations and ensure the quality of their products.
One of the major concerns of producers is to understand the concept of traceability. Indeed, they are required to be able to trace the origin of their cocoa beans, which requires additional effort in terms of sorting, data collection and recruitment of competent staff. The civil society platform therefore aims to support producers in these procedures, in order to facilitate their adaptation to the new rules and guarantee the traceability of their products.
For the moment, this platform targets 55 cocoa producer organizations in Côte d’Ivoire. However, the long-term objective is to broaden its action and reach a greater number of farmer organizations, spread across the 13 regions where cocoa is grown.
In conclusion, the establishment of a civil society platform aimed at supporting cocoa farmers towards sustainable practice is an important initiative to respond to the current challenges of the sector. By helping producers understand the standards and regulations in force, this platform will contribute to strengthening the sustainability of the cocoa sector in Côte d’Ivoire and ensuring product traceability.