Project Title: Influencing cocoa sector policies and practices through active participation of civil society organizations (CSOs), farmer organizations and media for sustainable productivity, and to implement a living income for cocoa farmers and families.

Funded by INKOTA, this three-year project, which concluded in 2022, had the overarching objective of promoting the well-being of cocoa farmers through sustainable cocoa production. Its implementation resulted in the establishment of Ghana’s first Civil Society Organization (CSO) advocacy platform for cocoa, which now comprises over 50 members, including journalists. Importantly, the project also enhanced networking among German, Ghanaian, and Ivorian CSOs operating in the cocoa sector. Towards this end, the project partnered with local radio stations to sensitize farmers on key issues in the cocoa sector such as Living Income Differential, deforestation, and human rights issues which over the years have hindered growth in the cocoa sector. Here are a few activities implemented for the year under review.

Goal: The project aims at ensuring that cocoa farmer organizations, CSOs and the media influence sustainable policies, programmes and practices in the cocoa sector. In addition, the project seeks to contribute to the development of strategies and activities by various stakeholders in the cocoa value chain to implement and sustain a living income for cocoa farmers’ families.

Objectives:

1. To strengthen the capacity of cocoa farmer organizations, CSOs and the media to monitor and advocate for improved policies and practices in the cocoa sector
2. To promote the functionality of the stakeholder (Sustainable Development Goals) platform for advocacy in the cocoa sector by including gender issues on the advocacy agenda
3. To facilitate constructive dialogue/advocacy between farmer groups, CSOs, government and COCOBOD.

Duration: