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How do we make sure that cocoa farmers have a living income?

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November 22, 2021

More than a million smallholder cocoa farmers in Ghana and Ivory Coast earn too little to make a decent living. Wageningen University & Research and Mondelēz International want to make more people aware of this and show that we face a huge challenge in changing this.

What is a living income?

A living income is a human right. But what is it exactly? It is an income that is high enough to ensure good health and well-being for yourself and your family. It means having enough money for healthy food and being able to live in a decent house. But you should not only be able to provide food and a roof over your head. You also need to be able to provide for things like education, transport, clothing, medical care and a financial buffer with this income.

Situation of cocoa farmers in Ghana and Ivory Coast

Unfortunately, this is far from the case for everyone; among the smallholder cocoa farmers, 75% do not achieve this living income. A Ghanaian cocoa farmer would have to earn 46% more to have a living income. And cocoa farmers in Ivory Coast would even have to double their income.

So there is a big gap between the real income and the living income for a lot of people. To change this, everyone in the cocoa sector has to do their part. Think of local governments, companies, NGOs, farmer organisations and financial institutions.

Captivated by the topic? Then this study is for you!