Committee installed to ensure sustainable, zero deforestation cocoa in Cameroon

By Nde Laura

With the current price of cocoa in the international market one cannot guarantee a decent living for its over 600 thousand smallholder farmers who make a living from cocoa production which is an absolute necessity for the promotion of sustainable cocoa that protects forests and consumers’ livelihood.

It is against this backdrop that the Minister of Agricultural and Rural Development, the Minister of Commerce and Trade, the Sustainable Trade Initiative, IDH, and the European Union together with other stakeholders met on February 9, 2023, in Yaounde to install members of the sustainability cocoa platform who will supervise activities throughout the cocoa sector.

The Committee which is a platform of a multi-stakeholder consultation framework made up of representatives is tasked to respect the rights of cocoa farmers and communities in production areas, Promote long-term conservation when needed, restore the permanent forest domain, and secure a living income to cocoa farmers among farmers.

According to the Sustainable Trade Initiative, IDH African Director, Jonas Mva Mva, the platform aims at creating a space where the government can work together with other organizations to ensure deforestation-free and cocoa sustainability in the country.
“That is the reason why the platform has been set up. It will enable many programs on how to preserve the forest, how to improve productivity, and make sure that farmers’ livelihoods are been preserved,” he explained.

The committee is also tasked to support farmers and their communities, in particular women, through information, sensitization, capacity building, and advisory support tailored to their needs. In particular, they will carry out actions to raise awareness and help sensitize on the existing legislation, law enforcement, and redress mechanisms such as forest law, land law, land use planning, and many others,