Buying cocoa at poor prices is a key human right violation issue that must be dealt with – SEND Ghana CEO

SEND Ghana CEO, Dr. Siapha Kamara

The Chief Executive Officer of SEND Ghana, Mr. Siapha Kamara has lamented the poor living conditions of cocoa farmers in the country.

In his view, the phenomenon of cocoa-buying countries and companies buying cocoa from producing countries at poor prices is a key human rights violation that needs to be dealt with.

Speaking on the opening day of SEND Ghana’s Conference On Living Income and Human Rights In Ghana's Cocoa Sector, Mr. Siapha Kamara stressed that it is important stakeholders critically look at the poor cocoa buying price which has subjected cocoa farmers in Ghana to poor living conditions.

He noted that the purpose of his outfit’s two-day conference is not only to highlight the various ways in which the cocoa sector is abusing the rights, especially of children and women but also to bring to the fore that cocoa buyers are equally violating the rights of cocoa farmers by buying cocoa at very poor prices.

“The purpose is to highlight the various ways in which the cocoa sector is abusing the rights, especially of children and women but more importantly to highlight that the poor prices being paid by the buyers of Cocoa lie at the heart of human right violation. That is the main message,” Mr. Siapha Kamara stressed.

The SEND Ghana CEO who also oversees the West Africa region further explained, “Unless the buyers that are buying our Cocoa can pay better prices to the farmers the question of human rights, the will question of the destruction of forest and use of child labour and the abuse of women will continue.”

He also stressed that at SEND Ghana, they believe cocoa farmers should not be living but should be doing very for themselves for the important work they do to produce cocoa.

“We believe that farmers should not just be living. They should be thriving. That should be the goal and that is why we prioritize two things. The first is that the buyers should pay better prices. Domestically we are also saying that Ghana is a democracy so farmers in the cocoa sector should be encouraged and supported by COCOBOD to self organizes. There should be freedom to organize. We are encouraging the cocoa farmers to have an independent voice,” he indicated.

Mr. Siapha Kamara believes that it is not right for children in developed countries to be enjoying and reaping the benefits of chocolate while children of cocoa farmers languish in poverty.

“Gone should be the days when children in the developed countries are chewing our cocoa and getting fat while children here are working and not going to school and dying. That dichotomy must not exist in today’s world. So this conference is to highlight that,” Mr. Kamara emphasised.

SEND Ghana’s two-day Conference on Living Income and Human Rights in Ghana's Cocoa Sector started on Wednesday, November 9, in Accra, at the AH Hotel.

The conference is being organised in partnership with SEND Ghana’s German partners; INKOTA and SUDWIND.

The conference has assembled key stakeholders to discuss issues bothering on living income and human rights as a catalyst for ensuring improved welfare of cocoa farmers as well as increasing government and private sector responsiveness for a sustained cocoa sector.

The overall outcome of the conference will contribute to strengthening multi-Actor partnerships to contribute to the development and implementation of new and innovative strategies to improve the living conditions of cocoa farming families and their communities.