The Netherlands-based Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) recently completed a study “Demystifying the Cocoa Sector in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire” to answer some basic questions around the household demographics of cocoa farmers, food security and nutrition, and crop choices and crop diversification. KIT is releasing the final results of the study on a chapter-by-chapter and weekly basis. Ahead of the complete release, Anna Laven, senior advisor at KIT, was interviewed by Nira Desai, senior director of strategy and learning at the World Cocoa Foundation, and shared insights about KIT’s work and its implications for the cocoa sector.
How did you come up with the idea for this research? What sparked the realization that there was a need for it?
The research evolved from two main ideas. First, working at KIT on sustainable cocoa for a number of years, we felt that the need for a major household study in cocoa growing regions to better understand the relative importance of cocoa in comparison to other crops, the livelihood status of households (and differences between households), and intra-household dynamics. We felt that such a study would provide a solid evidence base to test the many assumptions and beliefs that dominate current discussions.
Secondly, we noticed the lack of robust data and data sharing. Available databases are rarely made available to other researchers, and most studies are based on relatively small or non-representative samples. Without access to quality data, programs, policies, and people may suffer through poor design or targeting. In response, KIT and the partners that funded and supported our research – The Jacobs Foundation, The Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), Lindt Cocoa Foundation, UTZ, The French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), Sudwind Institute and The German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (GISCO) – all agreed to provide free access to the database to everyone.
What findings were you most surprised about?
We have so many interesting findings! For example, contrary to some narratives in the media, the world is not running out of cocoa farmers and supply is keeping pace with growth in demand. Our data suggests that younger farmers continue to step into cocoa at a rate that at least replaces older farmers stepping out, and that land under cocoa cultivation is actually steadily increasing. The need for diversification is another hot topic currently in the industry. Yet we find that households for which cocoa is their first or second most important crop (we call those households ‘cocoa-households’) already diversify their crops and income sources, even to a greater extent than non-cocoa households.
In our study we test many other myths. What we see as an important outcome is that our integrated and household-centered approach helps to explain why cocoa, for all its challenges, remains a very attractive option for many households compared with alternative crop options. In fact, households typically see cocoa as a better paying crop than alternatives, and that it allows them to make basic investments and cover costs of living. Our analysis of wealth and poverty certainly shows that cocoa households are not worse off, on average, than non-cocoa households. We are more interested in unleashing the potential of cocoa to improve the livelihoods, rather than focusing on a poverty narrative.