President Unveils Headquarters for Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has inaugurated the headquarters of the Cote d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Co-operation Initiative (CIGCI).

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The facility, inaugurated in Accra last Thursday, is situated in the Roman Ridge suburb.

The President urged the two countries to collaborate effectively, building on the alliance with renewed determination and optimism.

“As we launch this initiative and inaugurate this permanent headquarters, we are reminded of the common challenges we face; we must allow determination to foster solutions as we march forward,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo also stated that the headquarters project was not the limit to their mutual achievements but a major step towards reaching greater heights as envisaged in the strategic partnership agreements between the two countries.

Background
The Cote d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Cooperation Initiative (CIGCI) began in 2017 when President Akufo-Addo and President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire signed an agreement for a strategic partnership to bind the two countries together.

In 2018, President Ouattara and President Akufo-Addo, pursuant to this strategic initiative, committed their countries to the Abidjan Declaration, working together towards a sustainable cocoa economy.

The two countries account for 65 per cent of global cocoa output.

Processes

Recalling some of the processes leading to the initiative, President Akufo-Addo said Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana convened a global cocoa meeting in 2019. This dialogue was crucial to the survival of the global cocoa supply chain and the welfare of cocoa farmers.

This led to the adoption of the living income differential for cocoa producers in the two countries, involving the additional payment of $400 per tonne to cocoa farmers on the world market price, effective from the 2020/2021 season.

“What was thought impossible only two years ago is happening now. However, with the current peak in market prices, a new set of challenges has emerged, necessitating a revision of the initial approach to sustain or prevent a decline in prices,” the President added.

The policy of producer prices aims to pay prices that guarantee decent living incomes for cocoa farmers.

“Even in the middle of this cocoa year, when we doubted the positive changes in the international market, we did not hesitate to review upwards the producer price of cocoa to enable farmers to earn higher incomes and prepare their farms for the coming season.

“I am aware and appreciate that this same reasoning has guided the Ivorian response to the market’s developments,” President Akufo-Addo said. He added, “We will also continue to work with the government of Cote d’Ivoire within the framework of the Abidjan Declaration for sustainable and prosperous cocoa sectors in our two countries.”

Significance
President Akufo-Addo further stated that the headquarters not only signifies what regional unity and cooperation can achieve but also represents the shared aspiration for a prosperous cocoa economy, modernized, industrialized, and delivering wealth to millions of hardworking cocoa farmers and producers in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.

“We are, through this cooperation, creating the opportunity to revolutionize the cocoa supply chain for the delivery of greater value to our economies,” he added.

Vision
The Executive Secretary of the CIGCI, Alex Assanvo, said the initiative reaffirmed the vision to put the producer back at the center of the cocoa value chain for better remuneration.

He said the CIGCI was another example of how the two countries, through their respective Heads of State, could overcome challenges.

Dr. Bryan Acheampong, Minister of Food and Agriculture and Chairman of the CIGCI Steering Committee, said the institution was now a well-recognized player in the cocoa sector, aiding its growth through price stability, regulations, and market outlook.

The Ivorian Prime Minister, Robert Beugre Mambe, representing the President of Cote d’Ivoire, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, witnessed the event.

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