Book launch: Ghana’s cocoa industry contends with growth, poverty

From
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Published on
23.03.18
Impact Area
Food security, Poverty reduction, livelihoods & jobs
Funders
United States of America

Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah, Ghana’s ambassador to the United States, speaks on the state of the cocoa industry. Ghana cocoa farmers are at the mercy of a global marketplace that keeps producer prices low, he said, while manufacturers reap most of the profits. Photo by Jessica Thomas/IFPRI

Ghana’s cocoa industry has achieved consistent growth, but low global market prices, a lack of management transparency, and a shortage of younger farmers loom as major challenges, according to The Cocoa Coast: The Board-Managed Cocoa Sector in Ghana, a new IFPRI book.

Panelists discussed the book—by IFPRI Senior Research Fellow Shashidhara Kolavalli and independent researcher Marcella Vigneri—at a recent launch event in Washington. In Ghana, The Cocoa Coast has focused attention on the industry’s successes and stimulated critical dialogue on its problems and potential reforms. (Photo credit: Jessica Thomas/IFPRI)