Entry: Bill Guyton, World Cocoa Foundation
The World Cocoa Foundation co-hosted our 20th Partnership Meeting and Roundtable Sessions with the Ghana Cocoa Board in Accra last week. The meeting theme of “People, Planet, Profit: Envisioning the Future of Cocoa in Africa” brought together experts from the cocoa sector to speak on a number of important topics including quality cocoa and the value chain, child labor prevention; soil fertility and the environment; cocoa and climate change; lessons from other crops; and meeting national development goals. Over 300+ participants joined the meeting including farmer groups, government representatives, development agencies, WCF company members, and NGOs.
On the second day, Minister Mensah delivered a powerful speech that highlighted the increased efforts and commitment by the Government of Ghana in addressing the worst forms of child labor. He noted that poverty is a key cause of child labor and that we must all work together to improve the lives of cocoa communities, and ultimately, that it is our responsibility to ensure that children are protected. WCF and the Ghana Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare signed a memorandum of understanding confirming collaboration towards improving livelihoods by empowering and strengthening cocoa-growing communities through economic and social interventions. Côte d’Ivoire representatives, the International Labor Organization, U.S. Department of Labor and International Cocoa Initiative also provided an update on the efforts underway to address child labor in the cocoa sector.
We thank our sponsors Armajaro Trading Ltd, Kraft Foods, Cargill, Nestlé, ADM and the Ghana Cocoa Board for helping to make the meeting a success.
As always, we appreciate the support of our members, partners, speakers and sponsors who helped make this a meeting a truly memorable and successful event. We extend our sincere thanks to our Chairwoman, Anne Alonzo, for representing the World Cocoa Foundation. We hope to see you all in June 2012 for the 21st Partnership Meeting and Roundtable Sessions in Washington, D.C.!
Pictured: Paul Asimenu, Director of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Ghana; Anne Alonzo, Vice President, Global Public Policy, corporate affairs, Kraft Foods and WCF Chairwoman; Dr. Percival Y. Kuranchie, National Investment Bank; Bill Guyton, President, WCF; Anthony Fofie, Chief Executive, Ghana Cocoa Board.
Pictured: Hon. Enoch Teye Mensah, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Ghana; Dr. Raymonde Coffie Goudou, Minister of Family, Women and Children, Côte d’Ivoire.