Fairtrade cocoa farmers in West Africa are investing in their farms, crop infrastructure and communities, but they need deeper, long-term partnerships to drive change. So concludes a new report “Fairtrade Cocoa in West Africa,” released today by Fairtrade International and Fairtrade Africa.
Report findings reveal that Fairtrade-certified cocoa farmer organizations chose to spend 36 percent of their Fairtrade premiums on projects to increase the productivity of members’ farms and the quality of their cocoa – well above Fairtrade International’s suggested 25 percent minimum. The certifying organizations provide defined premiums of $200 per ton paid directly to farmers' organizations, which are managed at the sole discretion of farmers via their general assembly.