SOLIDARIDAD REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO COCOBOD IN FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL MINING

Date: 09th July 2024

The Executive Director of Solidaridad Network, Mr. Andre de Freitas, has reaffirmed his company’s unwavering support for the management of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) in its bid to tackle illegal mining, a major threat to cocoa production. 

Mr. Freitas, accompanied by his regional directors for Europe and West Africa, paid a working visit to the COCOBOD Head Office, where he expressed his outfit’s commitment to providing technical backstopping to help address the challenges faced by COCOBOD in implementing solutions for sustainable cocoa production.

He was emphatic about his team’s obligation to continue the longstanding partnership with the Board as development allies, especially in tackling illegal mining to ensure that the menace is controlled to prevent the disposal of farmlands.

He further indicated his readiness to hold brainstorming sessions with COCOBOD on existing state policy guidelines to address the legalization of small-scale artisanal miners, such that the investment in land reclamation and farm rehabilitation will support efforts at increasing cocoa production in the country.

On his part, the Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Hon Joseph Boahen Aidoo, welcomed the initiative of a strengthened partnership for both entities and outlined major flagship programmes of the Board where grants from donors have been utilized and have proven impactful in transforming the cocoa landscape for improved productivity.

The Chief Executive hailed the impact of pruning, hand pollination, irrigation and rehabilitation projects in massively improving the cocoa production landscape; as these agronomic innovations have encouraged vertical cultivation and mitigated deforestation. 

Hon Aidoo used the opportunity to appeal for increased collaboration with donors and partners in sustainability, to expand their sponsorship scope in order to guarantee the implementation of cocoa improvement programmes such as the Cocoa Traceability Programme and other farmer welfare improvement programmes. 

He highlighted the efforts of COCOBOD in pioneering the Cocoa Traceability Programme which has registered great success and indicated that plans are far advanced to ensure a nationwide traceability scheme for other crops. He added that this has largely been possible as a result of the effective partnerships that exist between COCOBOD and development partners such as GIZ, the German development agency. 

“On our part, to ensure that farmers produce in an environmentally sustainable manner, we have implemented PEPs [Productivity Enhancement Programme] such as hand pollination, pruning and rehabilitation as part of our environmental restoration schemes to reclaim our forests. 

He refuted claims that cocoa production is a source of deforestation. “Organizations would have to help correct the narrative of cocoa being a source of deforestation,” he urged.