Cameroon: Cocoa – Over 25,000 Farmers Certified

A ready market for cocoa needs quality which is available in Cameroon

On-going initiatives have been ignited to meet up with the process of certification of cocoa in the country. The country’s certification plan features as a key component of the 2020 cocoa/coffee development plan. According to information from the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (NCCB), over 25.000 farmers are certified today and some 10.000 metric tons of certified cocoa beans have been exported from Cameroon with over 90 per cent shipped to Europe. Secondly, a couple of initiatives have been undertaken by government through NCCB and the private sector: the TELCAR Cocoa Ltd and Cargill certification programme in the Southwest Region. Also, more than 15,000 cocoa producers have been trained and are already UTZ certified. SIC CACAOS and Barry Callebault has also invested in certification schemes in the Centre and Southwest Regions, while Agro-produce Management Services Ltd and Theobroma are also embarked on certification schemes in the Southwest and Centre Regions. Also, OLAM International and Olam Cameroon have been active in coffee certification in the North West Region. Having started in 2008, certification induces benefits both on the national and international market, such as, competitiveness with other origins, climate change mitigation, soil fertility and yield improvements and professionalisation of stakeholders, especially farmers as well as improvements in the overall well-being of rural communities. Furthermore, certification in the long run engenders multi-dimensional benefits that go beyond premiums and labels. Current policies and plans of the National Cocoa and Coffee Board are structured to produce more, and better quality cocoa, with emphasis on sustainability. It is worthy to note that certification process conformity becomes easier because it enables the farmer to recover the extra cost generated by producing more and better quality cocoa that can be sold at premium prices. Certification, however, might not necessarily bring about the much needed rewards in the form of premiums nor guarantee a ready market. These depend solely on the market.