ACCRA
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have raised concerns over the growing use of cocoa substitutes and the reformulation of chocolate products with less cocoa, warning that the practice could undermine efforts to improve farmers’ incomes and make cocoa production more sustainable.
The Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative, or CIGCI, said in a statement dated Aug. 12 that producers in the two countries are facing increasingly demanding requirements on traceability, deforestation, social compliance and cocoa quality, all of which require significant investment.
“It would be contradictory if those efforts were to be accompanied, downstream, by an insufficiently transparent reduction in the proportion of cocoa incorporated in finished products,” the initiative said.
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are major suppliers of cocoa to the global market and have sought greater coordination of their cocoa policies as they push for better compensation for farmers and a larger share of the value generated by the chocolate industry.
CIGCI said companies remain free to innovate and adapt their recipes within applicable regulations, but warned that reformulations should not confuse consumers or weaken economic, social and environmental sustainability goals.
The initiative called for manufacturers to provide clearer information about the amount of cocoa in products and disclose significant substitutions of cocoa-derived ingredients.
“Any substantial reduction or substitution of cocoa-derived ingredients should be communicated in a clear, accessible and unambiguous manner,” CIGCI said.
It also questioned how sustainability claims should be presented when the cocoa content of a product has been reduced.
“Environmental, social or ethical claims associated with products should, in addition, remain proportionate to the actual quantity and nature of the cocoa contained,” the initiative said.
CIGCI called for regulators, manufacturers, distributors, producer organizations, standards bodies and other stakeholders to assess the effects of reformulation on cocoa demand, farmers’ incomes and investments in sustainability.
It also proposed establishing a permanent consultation framework bringing together producer countries, manufacturers, regulators, distributors and consumer representatives.
The statement follows renewed cooperation between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire on their cocoa sectors. Presidents John Dramani Mahama of Ghana and Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire met in Abidjan on June 16 and reaffirmed their commitment to a sustainable cocoa economy based on better remuneration for producers and a more equitable distribution of value, according to CIGCI.
The countries are also seeking closer coordination on cocoa marketing, efforts to combat cocoa swollen shoot disease, implementation of the ARS 1000 standard, development of climate-resilient cocoa varieties and increased local processing.
“A truly sustainable cocoa economy requires shared responsibility and effective coherence at every stage of the value chain,” CIGCI said. “The increasing efforts required of producers must be matched by the valuation of cocoa, the transparency of products and a fairer distribution of value.”
