Cocoa and chocolate companies ink deal to achieve no deforestation commitments in Ghana

15 Apr 2021 --- Ghana and cocoa and chocolate companies have collaborated on a deal poised to protect and restore forests in cocoa-growing areas. 

With this agreement, the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and the Forestry Commission of Ghana (GFC) are building a partnership to further align the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Program (GCFRP) and the Cocoa & Forests Initiative to achieve no-deforestation commitments. 

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed by GFC and WCF, commits the parties to work together in six regions where Ghana's government has made action to protect and restore forests a priority. 

“In 2021, our collective work on protecting and restoring forests, promoting sustainable cocoa production and farmers’ livelihoods, and engaging communities and boosting social inclusion is progressing fast,” Ethan Budiansky, director of environment at WCF World Cocoa Foundation, tells FoodIngredientsFirst. 

“One of our main focuses this year is on landscape approaches in the six regions where Ghana’s government has made action to protect and restore forests a priority.”

Budiansky says WCF is also very focused on traceability with our public sector partners in Ghana. “The governments of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana are both building national traceability systems in partnership with companies to allow full traceability for all the cocoa supply chain, inclusive of indirect sourcing.”

The COVID-19 impact
“The current COVID-19 pandemic does our work on tackling climate change more urgent than ever,” he outlines. 

“The Cocoa & Forests Initiative is the cocoa and chocolate sector’s strategy to end deforestation and demonstrates unprecedented collaboration between companies and producing governments. Deforestation and habitat loss for wild animals have been linked to pandemics.”

Beyond its long-term work on fighting deforestation, WCF launched in 2020 as an emergency response to ensure cocoa farmers stay safe.

“Cocoa and chocolate companies donated $835,000 to help cocoa farmers and their families fight the spreading coronavirus by supporting the national emergency plans of governments in West Africa, Asia, and Latin America,” Budiansky continues. 

“This was on top of numerous individual company contributions and help to farmers such as donations of soap or broadcasting of prevention messages.”

Cocoa in Ghana
The work in these regions dubbed “Hotspot Intervention Areas” has already started, with active engagements in the Asunafo-Asutifi, Bia-Juaboso, Kakum and Sefwi-Bibiani landscapes. 

It is aligned with commitments in the Ghana framework for action signed in November 2017 for the landmark Cocoa & Forests Initiative, a partnership of 35 companies, governments and cocoa-growing communities. 

The Cocoa & Forests Initiative is now fully aligned with the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Program.As part of the MoU, GFC will facilitate the development of strategic initiatives, collaborate on protocols for data collection and ensure more robust monitoring on social and environmental issues. 

WCF is responsible for facilitating the coordination and convening the actions of the 35 cocoa and chocolate companies that have signed the Cocoa & Forests Initiative. WCF will also support monitoring, evaluation, innovation and private-public learning.

“Phenomenal collaboration”
In his remarks, the chief executive of the GFC, John Allotey, says: “This partnership represents a phenomenal collaboration with the private sector to ambitiously contribute to real and verifiable emission reductions in Ghana’s precious forest landscapes which are home to diverse forms of wildlife and also provide important livelihood options for rural dwellers.”

“The GCFRP is already achieving significant impacts with inclusive governance arrangements, and the GFC encourages other like-minded institutions to partner with the program for visible impact at scale strategically.”

“With our partner GFC, we aim to accelerate our journey toward forest positive cocoa,” adds Richard Scobey, WCF’s president. 

“Ending cocoa-related deforestation requires all stakeholders to work together.”

Supply chains in the spotlight
Earlier this week, Olam Food Ingredients revealed it has reached its target of 100 percent child labor monitoring across its managed cocoa sustainability programs and 100 percent deforestation monitoring across its direct global cocoa supply chain.

Meanwhile, last month Barry Callebaut teamed up with start-up Seekewa, a digital community platform dedicated to small farmers in Africa, on a pilot project to increase and diversify the incomes of farmers on the Cocoa Horizons program.

Also last month, the Hershey Company’s latest commitment to ending deforestation was reported to include a crackdown on any cocoa supplier who breaches the policy, which may lead to suspension or complete removal from the company’s supply chain. 

By Elizabeth Green