Cocoa, Forests & Justice: A Ghanaian Perspective with Sam Mawutor
A two-part podcast guest hosted by Leisl and Katie
Sam Mawutor
Sam Mawutor is currently undertaking a PhD at Oregon State University focussed on deforestation in Ghana. He also works with Mighty Earth to improve deforestation in cocoa, improve community right, and reduce pesticide use.
The first podcast kicks off the series by exploring issues in the cocoa industry in Ghana.
In this podcast, they first establish how cocoa farming looks - the scale, location, expenses, and how cocoa growing works.
Cocoa farming is labour-intensive, meaning that farmers often need to hire labourers to work on their farm. With the change of land ownership, farms are starting to fragment and get smaller. Farmers often do not have the capital to pay for labourers, and the price paid for cocoa is very low.
Many farmers to not make a living income.
It is very difficult for many farmers. It is often hard to find labourers (who have moved to working in mining for a higher wage), meaning that the labourer wage in cocoa is growing out of reach for farmers.
We then move to the second episode, looking at deforestation in cocoa.
The role of collective action and what can be done is first established.
We then move on to establish that the largest chocolate companies are making huge profits. Why are there farmers in poverty, then? The profitability of chocolate is build on low input costs - such as cocoa.
“The whole cocoa model is built on poverty” - Sam Mawutor
These companies hold the responsibility to change - which cannot simply be sourcing ‘sustainable cocoa’ for the same price. Paying more for cocoa is a good place to start, but it is critical that the increased price of cocoa reaches the farmers. Structural change at governmental level is also a necessary step.
What can you do as a consumer?
Be aware of the chocolate you buy, look at the Chocolate Scorecard to find ethically-produced chocolate.