2 weeks ago
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Three civil Society organisations are calling on the Ghana Cocoa Board to as a matter of urgency address the grievances of cocoa farmers through its Grievance and Redress Mechanisms.
The three, Corporate Accountability Lab (CAL) and Civic Response and the University of Ghana School of Law mentioned deforestation, inadequate climate change initiatives and the continuous use of illegal pesticides, and prevalent hazardous child labour as some of the challenges bedevilling the sector which needed to be addressed.
According to them, the GRM was created by COCOBOD as a prerequisite for a $600 million syndicated loan arranged by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2018.
At a press conference in Accra on Friday, the Programmes Officer of Civic Response, Mr Raymond Ennin, said the system was inaccessible, ineffective, and had failed to achieve its set up objectives.
He added that despite COCOBOD’s regulation of Ghana’s cocoa sector, the industry was faced with a myriad of challenges that were negatively impacting the welfare of cocoa farmers and their families.
He added that 30 farmers had signed to the petition that was submitted to the COCOBOD on Thursday, October 31, to review the child labour policy and to increase the farm gate price to ensure farmers earn a living income.
Furthermore, he emphasised that the relationship that existed between cocoa farmers and the COCOBOD should be seen as that of business partners rather than an employer-employee dynamic, insisting that cocoa farmers should be involved in decision-making processes by choosing their own representatives.
Mr Ennin said cocoa farmers requested greater transparency from the COCOBOD regarding cocoa pricing mechanisms, as they lacked understanding of how cocoa prices were determined and also felt excluded from the process.
“Ultimately, they want recognition as partners who contribute to the industry rather than as mere employees,” he added.
The Media Lead for Ghana Civil-Society Cocoa Platform (GCCP), Nana Yaw Reuben, underscored the need to review existing child labour laws on farmers.
“We are advocating for re-evaluating the child labour laws to encourage children to engage in local agricultural jobs. We are emphasising the importance of maintaining interest in traditional roles and calling for community collaboration to address these issues,” he said.
BY EMMANUELLA AKIMBI
