Nigeria’s $770m Cocoa Industry at Risk Over EU Policy, Farmers President Says
The National President of the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria, Comrade Adeola Adegoke has stated the urgent steps needed to be taken by the government of Nigeria to resolve sustainability issues like deforestation and traceability.
According to him, Nigeria’s cocoa could be at risk if the federal government does not take the necessary legal steps to halt and remediate the European Union deforestation policy slated for December this year, and develop strategies for addressing forest loss in cocoa communities through collective action.
The Cocoa Farmers Association he said in the interim has however assured the EU that steps are being taken to comply with best practices which include advocacy and capacity training for cocoa farmers in the areas of ecosystem protection.
CFAN, he added is focusing on the production of deforestation-free cocoa and the protection of the rights of our labourers and children.
The training sessions, the president says, were being conducted in partnership with other stakeholders across the cocoa-producing communities which is labeled “Cocoa Farmers Roundtable Conference,” the statement reads via a an open letter to the EU.
The EU regulation framework prohibits products from entering the EU market unless they are deforestation-free and legally produced. The Regulation applies to wood, palm oil, soy, coffee, cocoa, rubber, and cattle, as well as most of their derivatives. Under cocoa, it applies to beans, products, and chocolate.