The cocoa sector in Côte d’Ivoire faces many challenges, particularly regarding the sustainability and traceability of production practices. This is why a civil society platform was recently launched to support planters in this transition towards more responsible agriculture.
This platform aims to raise awareness and inform cocoa producers about the standards and regulations in force in the sector. It currently addresses 55 producer organizations and hopes to broaden its impact by reaching around a hundred farmer organizations in the 13 regions of the country where cocoa is grown.
One of the major challenges that growers must face is the implementation of traceability of cocoa beans. Indeed, Europe requires increased traceability to ensure that imported cocoa meets environmental and social standards. This involves additional efforts from farmers, such as sorting quality cocoa beans and entering accurate data. The civil society platform’s mission is to support planters in this complex process.
This civil society initiative is welcomed by planter organizations, who see it as an opportunity to be better informed and supported in their transition to sustainable practices. Indeed, civil society, thanks to its understanding of the issues linked to traceability and sustainability, can play a crucial role in the dissemination of good practices to planters.
One of the members of the Coopasa cooperative, Désirée Adon, underlines the importance of this support: “Traceability requires a lot of effort. We need to recruit new players for data entry. So, we need to be supported to do so. traceability”. This cooperative, like others, sets up technical committees to manage these themes and is ready to take action once properly informed.
In short, this civil society platform in Côte d’Ivoire plays a crucial role in the transition to sustainable cocoa agriculture. By informing and supporting planters in implementing more responsible practices, it contributes to preserving the environment and meeting the requirements of international markets in terms of traceability. One more step towards a more sustainable cocoa sector that respects standards.