The Republic of Ghana---Collective Harvest 3

For the collect harvest# 3, I am choosing to talk about cocoa industry and how it relates to oppression and resistance. The topic of the cocoa industry also dances with the theme of collaboration for resources.

A brief history, approximately 50 million people around the world rely on cocoa. There are 5 million small farmers that depend on the crop for their livelihood, yet despite cocoa's high demand (market value of $103 billion U.S. dollars) these farmers cannot meet their basic needs (Hakeenah 2021). This is a prime example of oppression. Doing business with countries like Switzerland and the United States did not feed Ghana's economic infrastructure. President Nana Akufo-Addo has stated: "Ghana is currently Switzerland’s largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, largely from the export of gold and cocoa to Switzerland and the import of chemical and pharmaceutical products…However, as I have stated on many occasions, Ghana no longer wants to be dependent on the production and export of raw materials, including cocoa beans. We intend to process more and more of our cocoa in our country with the aim of producing more chocolate ourselves" (Ntreh 2021). With exporting less raw materials and boosting the cocoa industry being the goal, President Nana Akufo-Addo has collaborated with Cote D'Ivoire. They are the top 2 producers of cocoa beans and they are now working together to uplift their economies. This collaboration has proven their ability to be able to influence the price of cocoa which usually fluctuates year to year globally. In resistance to the economic oppression placed upon Ghana, 2nd term Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo declined exchanging cocoa with Switzerland. Last year Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire halted the sale of Cocoa to the United States accusing manufacturers like Hershey's and Mar's of avoiding paying the Living Income Differential (LID) that will help improve the economic fortunes of poor farmers. Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire came up with terms of $400 per ton of cocoa beans in addition to market price to provide farmers with more economic balance. The trade war did not last long as these 2 countries who collaborated together got their demands met. This is the 2nd time in two years these two countries have been able to get major manufacturers to concede on deals (Ntreh 2021). President Akufo-Addo is choosing to implement policies and interventions that will boost the cocoa industry. He is choosing to cultivate, process and produce chocolate themselves. The goal is to no longer rely on exporting raw materials as primary source of wealth because Ghana has seen that they have not and will not benefit in this way.

Ghana in a form of resistance and autonomy has introduced programs aimed at sustaining the cocoa industry and improving the livelihood of cocoa farmers and their dependents. Some programs being implemented are easy access to fertilizers, introduction to irrigation, motorized weed slashers and pruners, hand pollination program, mass pruning exercises, more farmer groups and co-operations and educating farmers on technique. “I am happy to state that we have not relented in our quest to give the cocoa industry the necessary boost and facelift it deserves," stated President Nana Addo (NPP 2020).

Works Cited

Hakeenah, Njenga. “Ghana's Cocoa Beans Value Addition Best Bet for Africa.” The Exchange, 13 Mar. 2021, theexchange.africa/economic-growth/ghana-cocoa-beans-processing-switzerland/.

“NPP Noted for Innovative Policies in Cocoa Sector – Akufo-Addo.” GhanaWeb, 26 Sept. 2020, www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/NPP-noted-for-innovative-policies-in-cocoa-sector-Akufo-Addo-1069846. Nii Ntreh. “Why Ghana Will No Longer Sell Cocoa to Switzerland.” Face2Face Africa, 26 Mar. 2021, face2faceafrica.com/article/why-ghana-will-no-longer-sell-cocoa-to-switzerland.