Industry leaders tackle sustainability in cocoa production at Calabar 2024
Onome Amuge
The Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) and other key stakeholders have underscored the need for cooperation and collaboration in the country’s cocoa sector.
With the inclusion of youth in cocoa farming and processing through entrepreneurship development identified as a critical step towards sustaining the sector, the stakeholders pledged to adopt an all-hands-on-deck approach in ensuring that the cocoa industry remains viable and meets international standards.
Nigeria’s cocoa industry, an essential part of the country’s economy, is facing challenges in complying with the European Union’s Deforestation Regulations (EUDR), which according to analysts, could affect the industry’s growth and sustainability in the long term.
Recognising the gravity of the challenges posed by EUDR compliance, the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria and the Cocoa Roundtable Initiative (CORI) took proactive steps to convene a national cocoa festival, tagged “Calabar 2024.”
The “Calabar 2024” event, held over two days on October 23rd and 24th, in Calabar, Cross River State, was attended by over 300 participants representing various sectors and organisations. These included government agencies, private companies, international development institutions, traditional leadership, and cocoa farmers from Nigeria’s cocoa-producing states.
The primary objectives of the event included providing an overview of the European Union Deforestation Regulations and its implications for Nigeria’s cocoa industry, developing strategies for mapping and monitoring deforestation in cocoa supply chains, and fostering partnerships among stakeholders to support deforestation-free cocoa production.
The event also addressed innovative solutions to support youth entrepreneurship in cocoa processing and value addition.
Moreover, the event clarified the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders in the Nigerian cocoa industry, such as the National Cocoa Management Committee (NCMC), government agencies, cocoa farmers, processors, exporters, and other stakeholders in the cocoa industry.
The Calabar 2024 event identified low local consumption of cocoa products, inaccurate data on cocoa production and value chain, and a knowledge gap about the EUDR among farmers as some of the key issues confronting Nigeria’s cocoa industry.
Key issues highlighted by stakeholders at the event included soil degradation, pests and diseases, the misuse of adulterated agrochemicals, lack of access to cocoa policy documents, and outdated forest cover and land use maps, all of which present challenges for cocoa farmers in Nigeria.
The event raised additional issues facing the cocoa industry in Nigeria, such as inadequate land tenure systems, limited collaboration among industry players, low traceability system adoption rates, outdated farming practices, limited access to quality inputs, adverse climate change impacts, insufficient mitigation techniques adoption on farms, and inadequate investment in agricultural technology and innovation.
To tackle the challenges facing Nigeria’s cocoa industry, stakeholders at the “Calabar 2024” event recommended a strategic shift towards increasing local processing and consumption of cocoa products.
The stakeholders also called for government and NCMC leadership in harmonising and updating available data on the cocoa value chain and organising awareness campaigns to educate cocoa value chain stakeholders on EUDR and other relevant regulations.
The stakeholders also urged farmers to take advantage of the various sustainability initiatives and adopt best agronomic practices to support their operations.
The government, NCMC, National Task Force, and other relevant stakeholders were called upon to intensify efforts to eliminate adulterated agrochemicals, finalize and publish the national cocoa plan and policy, and update the forest cover and land use maps in all cocoa-producing states to support the industry’s growth.
The stakeholders further recommended a government review of the existing land tenure system, the creation of a national traceability system in collaboration with development partners and industry experts, increased support for research institutes to promote climate-smart agricultural practices among farmers, and the fostering of an environment that encourages private sector and youth participation in the cocoa value chain for sustainability.
The participants expressed their gratitude to the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) for organising the evnt, which served as a valuable platform to identify the key challenges facing the industry and the opportunities available to ensure compliance with the EUDR and promote sustainability through youth involvement.
The participants also emphasised the importance of political will on the part of the government to implement these recommendations and drive positive change in the cocoa industry.
Addressing newsmen at the event, Adeola Adegoke, the national president of the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria, highlighted the importance of the festival’s theme, noting that it was chosen to draw attention to the vital role of the National Cocoa Management Committee in mobilising stakeholders to comply with the EUDR and promote cocoa value addition and youth inclusion as key pillars of the industry’s long-term sustainability in Nigeria.
Adegoke explained that the first and second national cocoa festivals were held in Akure, Ondo State, and Abuja, respectively, paving the way for the third festival to be hosted in Calabar, Cross River State.
The CFAN president extended his gratitude to Governor Bassey Otu, Mitchel Arrion, the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) executive director, various stakeholders, and groups for their collaboration in resolving to tackle environmental challenges and EUDR implementation, with the ultimate goal of fostering growth and attracting more investment in the cocoa industry.