Minister for Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has called on the European Union (EU) to work with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to prevent its proposed ethical and sustainable supply chain rules from becoming a burden for the local cocoa and coffee industry.
He said even though the new legislation is a way to drive better practices within the cocoa and coffee subsector, more importantly, the EU must work with ACP countries in achieving these sustainability standards so that it will not put players within the value chain out of business.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah made the call when he chaired a two-day forum on the future of Ghanaian cocoa and coffee value chains in the face of this new EU legislation at the “Alliances in Ghana: Coffee and Chocolate At The Table” in Brussels, Belgium.
The event was organized by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Ghanaian Mission in Brussels last week.
“At a time where farmlands are coming under threats for competing and more rewarding economic activities, sustainability is a matter that requires some more attention. By no means however should sustainability be used as a pretext to limit market accessibility. Exchange of best practices and technical assistance is necessary so that we can have a win-win situation in all of this.
“Farmers deserve a recompense for their hard work and should not be left out in any business or policy negotiation. Their social reality and cultural context must be considered when designing legislation so they may meet their demands and not bear a disproportionate burden for complying with the regulation”, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ofoase-Ayirebi stressed.
