COCOBOD BOSS, HON. JOSEPH BOAHEN AIDOO BESTOWED IVORIAN NATIONAL HONOUR

Date: 02nd October 2020

The President of Côte d’Ivoire H.E. Alassane Dramane Ouattara has bestowed the Ivorian National Award of Commander of the National Order of Merit of Côte d’Ivoire on Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo, the Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).

The award, which is reserved for individuals who have distinguished themselves in service to the Ivorian nation, was conferred on Hon. Boahen Aidoo for leading the joint Ghanaian and Ivorian negotiations to secure a new cocoa trading mechanism which has a Living Income Differential (LID) as a means to achieve a floor price for the sale of cocoa from both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

The award was presented to him on Thursday 1st October, at a ceremony held in Yamoussoukro to mark this year’s edition of la Journee Nationale du Cacao et du Chocolat (the National Cocoa and Chocolate Day), the Ivorian equivalent of Ghana’s Cocoa Day celebration.

The Chief Executive of Le Conseil du Café-Cacao (CCC), Mr. Ibrahim Kone Yves also received the same award for playing a significant role in the process leading to the achievement of LID.

The Ivorian Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Kouassi Adjoumani, said Ivorian cocoa farmers owe Ghana’s president, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo and the Chief Executive of COCOBOD a great debt for their work to improve the living standards of cocoa farmers.

He acknowledged that although the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted all sectors of the economy, including the price of cocoa. LID has ensured that the income of cocoa farmers in the country have been protected.

He expressed, on behalf of the “entire cocoa sector, and particularly the cocoa subsector a solemn appreciation”, to Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo and congratulated him for the national award.

In his keynote address, H.E. Alassane Dramane Ouattara recounted the discussions he had with his Ghanaian counterpart, President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, which has culminated in the achievement of LID. A US$400 extra amount on every tonne of cocoa sold by the two countries.

We are friends and sons of both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, President Ouattara said, as he paid homage to President Akufo-Addo for his “leadership and commitment to strengthening the cooperation between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire".

The achievement of LID is a testimony to the excellent relationship between the two countries and a harbinger of what can be accomplished by deepening the cooperation between the two countries, he said.

In his acceptance speech, Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo also expressed his profound gratitude to the Ivorian President for conferring on him a high national honour. He described the award as the “greatest recognition” he has obtained in his life.

Hon. Boahen Aidoo recognized the immense contribution which the Chief Executive of CCC, Mr. Ibrahim Kone Yves, and his team made to the achievement of LID.

He also described LID as the greatest legacy of the two presidents and said that its sustenance depends on the continues cooperation of the two countries to consolidate present gains and reach for higher goals. He assured President Ouattara of Ghana’s commitment in that regard. 

The Ivorian president used the occasion to announce an increase in the producer price of cocoa in Côte d’Ivoire for the next crop season from CFA 825 per kilogram to CFA1000 per kilogram. He stated that the increase in price has only been made possible by the Living Income Differential.