Description
This Group is set up as the platform of the EU multistakeholder roundtables on sustainable cocoa under the European Cocoa Initiative - Cocoa Talks.
On the 22nd of September 2020, the European Commission launched with EU stakeholders an inclusive dialogue on sustainable cocoa focusing on Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. The dialogue brings together key stakeholders, including EU Member States, the European Parliament, the Ambassadors of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana to the EU, industry representatives and civil society organisations. The objective of the dialogue is to foster progress in the elimination of child labour and child trafficking in cocoa supply chains, enhancing the protection and restorations of forests in cocoa-producing regions, and ensuring a living income for cocoa farmers. One-hundred and forty-six (146) people attended the launch event from the EU, and the two cocoa-producing countries, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
At the end of the event, the European Commission, asked participants to submit their ideas on the following:
• how to organize the dialogue;
• proposed thematic groups and sub-groups;
• suggested topics for discussion;
• proposed schedule or timeline.
The dialogue will continue to be led by the European Commission, respecting basic principles of inclusiveness, variety and balanced representation of participants, while seeking to keep thematic groups at a manageable size. The dialogue will seek to shed light on the implications of the European Commission’s work on deforestation (led by DG Environment) and due diligence (led by DG Justice) on the cocoa sector and, over the longer term. The dialogue will aim to contribute to sustainable cocoa production globally. It will focus on 6 themes:
1. Living Income Differential - International / farmgate prices for cocoa and farmers’ incomes
2. Standards - The role of public / private standards and certification
3. Regulations - Due diligence, government regulations and other measures in governing cocoa supply chains
4. Traceability, Transparency and Accountability - Implementation mechanisms to identify, prevent and mitigate negative human rights and environmental externalities along the cocoa supply chain
5. Sustainable Cocoa Production Systems - Empowering farmers and private actors to produce sustainable cocoa through capacity-building, investment and an improved enabling environment
6. Coordination of Technical Assistance and Development Finance - Defining investment needs and coordinating delivery of technical assistance and development finance.