Story by: Ishmael Barfi
The 2nd Ordinary Meeting of the Cote d’Ivorie- Ghana Cocoa Initiative Steering Committee has been held in Accra, on Friday, 21st January,2022.
The 2nd Ordinary Meeting is to enable the Executive Secretary, Mr Alex Arnaud Assanavo to update the two countries on The 2nd Ordinary Meeting is to enable the Executive Secretary, the progress of the establishment of this new organisation with key important points especially the presentation and validation of the strategic vision as well as the approval of the International staff and the establishment of the organs of the institution.
In a press release issued at the meetings indicates that, the strategic vision of the initiative would give a central place to the producer and his income.
Explaining that, this would make the price obtained by the producer the key variable in the sustainability equation.
“Two years after the idea of the Living Income Differential (LID) was proposed, it confirms the relevance of supporting producer incomes through direct action on field prices”, it stated.
The strategy according to the release calls for the creation of an economic pact, which in line with the LID affirms the political ambition of agreeing among stakeholders on a minimum export price trajectory, without which no descent field, price trajectory can be envisaged.
The release further stated that, the pact as proposed by the Executive Secretary responds to the vision of the Heads of State of the Initiative’s member countries.
“It embodies the ambition to join forces with two largest producing countries in order to shape the future of a sector that has been subject to market forced for too long without taking into account the fundamental rights of producers”.
It concluded saying that, sustainable and remunerative cocoa is not the cocoa of today, stating that, “this move upmarket has a price- a minimum price on which stakeholders must agree, and to which they must commit and be accountable”.
The two Ministers of Agriculture of Cote i’Ivoire and Ghana as well as heads of the Cocoa Institutions of the respective countries, Mrs. Massandjé Touré-Litsé, Director-General of Conseil Cafe-Cacso and the Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo were present at the 2nd Ordinary Meeting of the Cote d’Ivoire – Ghana Cocoa Initiative Steering Committee.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
