Cocoa and Political Economy

Chapter 8

Abstract

1. Introduction

137

in Ghana

Kenneth Peprah

become evident to elicit appropriate remedy.

Keywords: cocoa plant, people, profit, sustainability, Ghana

Cocoa Plant, People and Profit

Cocoa production assumed commercial dimension by the beginning of the nineteenth century in Ghana. Soon after that the country became the world's leading producer of cocoa. Since then the ecological system of the cocoa plant, people involved in its management and their profit motives have been interwoven. The cocoa plant ecosystem in Ghana has been performing well under variable soil and climatic conditions. In addition, the different cocoa actors have unequal powers which affect sharing of the incentives from the sale of cocoa beans. Hence, sustainability of the cocoa industry in Ghana depends on ethical unity amongst the multistakeholders. By using the conceptual 3Ps approach to analysis of sustainability (environment, sociocultural and economic), benefits accruing and problems will

Cocoa,Theobroma cacao, is a very important crop because it provides food, income, employment, industrial raw material and resources for poverty reduction [1]. Besides the provision of livelihood for millions of smallholder farmers, cocoa also provides raw material for the multibillion global chocolate industry. Hence, reduction in cocoa production is immediately felt by the smallholder farmers and the chocolate industry. As of 2013/2014 cocoa crop year, Africa contributed the majority of production (72%), Latin America (16%) and Asia together with Oceania (12%). With regards to dried cocoa beans as industrial raw material, Europe and Russia process/grind (39%), North and South America (21%), Asia and Oceania (21%) and Africa (19%). In terms of cocoa consumption, the European Union (EU) accounted for 36%, North America (24%), Asia and Oceania (16%), Europe outside the EU (10%), Latin America (10%) and Africa (4%) [2]. Therefore, the maintenance of cocoa to ensure continuous production and supply is of international concern. An analysis of world cocoa economy between 2011/2012 and 2022/2023 found steady decline in cocoa stock [2]. The media recently started announcing the threat faced by the cocoa industry. "We'll run out of cocoa [beans for chocolate production] in just SEVEN years-the world in just SEVEN years—the world will officially run out [of cocoa] on October 2, 2020" Star Sunday 6 October 2013, "no more chocolate by 2020!—Chocolate bars may get replaced by slabs of palm oil and vegetable fats packed with raisins and nougats by 2020" The Times of India 13 April 2014, "manufacturers warn that the world may soon run out of chocolate!" The

Week 17 November 2014, "don't panic, but we could be running out of

## Chapter 8
