Report
Potentials for Improving the Socioeconomic Situation of Ghanaian Cocoa Farmers: The Role of Sustainability Initiatives
Hannes Grohs, Jan Grumiller, and Andreas Peham
2023
#Agriculture and food
#Sub-saharan Africa
#Sustainability standards
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Based on an overview of both the global cocoa-chocolate value chain and the specifics of the cocoa industry in Ghana as well as the associated sustainability issues, this report provides a comprehensive review of sustainability initiatives in the cocoa-chocolate GVC initiated during the last 20 years with a specific focus on the socioeconomic situation of cocoa farmers and their communities in Ghana. The review includes both civil society and private sector-led initiatives, as well as state-led initiatives, both in Ghana as one of two major global producer countries and in the EU as a major global consumer. On the basis of this overview, we then proceed to assess the relative successes and shortcomings of the initiatives. We point to limitations, while also identifying best-practices and promising developments. In methodological terms, the assessment is based on expert interviews and a literature review. The report concludes with four recommendations.
