COCOA IN CAMEROON: OUR LONG-TERM COMMITMENT

Cocoa culture in Cameroon

West Africa is the biggest cocoa producing region. 70%[1] of the worldwide supply comes from Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon. Cameroon produces about 300’000t of cocoa annually.

Cameroon’s production potential is high and could be increased. However, the country still suffers from several issues that affect cocoa culture.

The first one is related to the quality of the beans, which are usually classified as fair fermented (up to 10% mouldy and/or wormy beans and 10% slaty beans) while the chocolate manufacturers look for good fermented (maximum of 5% mouldy/wormy and 5% slaty beans).

The second one is related to the difficulty to find reliable suppliers, which is probably the biggest challenge. Shipment default is a major risk, particularly in a rising market like today.

A third challenge is the fact that about one third of its production is grown in the English-speaking part of the country in the Southwest bordering Nigeria. A significant part of cocoa produced in that region is smuggled into Nigeria where export taxes are lower. In addition, this region has witnessed political unrest for many years.   The marketing of cocoa in Cameroon is liberalized, meaning that the farmers have been able to take advantage of the recent market rise.

Our way to sustainably secure our supply

In order to face these challenges, we have entered into an exclusive partnership with a reliable supplier sharing our long-term approach. We offer pre-financing, support him in getting Rainforest Alliance certification, as well as we accompany him in getting ready to meet the EUDR traceability standards. We also work closely with him to tackle the logistical challenges which are key in cocoa purchasing in Cameroon. This way, we ensure a steady and constant supply of good quality cocoa in Cameroon.

Thanks to the good selection work of our partner, we are also able to supply the good fermented quality standard for the chocolate industry.

[1] SWISSCO

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