The Chief Executive of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Hon Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has tasked members of the newly constituted National Committee for the Promotion of Cocoa Consumption (NCPCC) to adopt innovative approaches to shore up the Board's efforts at consolidating successes chalked in its domestic cocoa consumption drive.
At a ceremony held at Cocoa House, Accra, to inaugurate the committee, Hon Aidoo charged the 9-member team to commit to the Committee's mandate of promoting cocoa consumption in Ghana.
“I wish to say that the new members of the Committee are people with experience in marketing communication, investment, tourism, and economics just to name but a few, and they have accepted to carry this huge responsibility for moving per capita consumption, which is currently around 1kg, to an appreciable level within the shortest possible time”, he said.
According to the Chief Executive, over the past years, Government through COCOBOD had been pursuing a 50% cocoa processing policy’ to ensure that at least half of the country’s annual cocoa output is processed locally, not only to take advantage of the economic fortunes of the cocoa trade; but also to drum home the nutritional and health benefits of cocoa while encouraging massive consumption among the citizenry.
“The anticipated increase in local processing as well as the current relatively low per capita consumption provides enough justification for us to increase our pace within the cocoa consumption drive. Already the COCOBOD AfCFTA Cocoa Consumption Committee has been working tirelessly with local processors and state agencies to ensure smooth penetration into the African market”, he added.
The Committee would be responsible for formulating concepts and strategies for the generic promotion of cocoa consumption in Ghana, develop programmes and activities that will create and increase national awareness of the health and nutritional benefits of cocoa, to sustain a nationwide cocoa consumption drive.
The Chairman of the NCPCC, Mr Fiifi Boafo, thanked the Board for reposing trust in the team, to fulfil the mandate of the Committee, which primarily involves increasing the national per capita consumption of cocoa to appreciable levels.
Mr. Boafo assured Management of the Committee’s commitment to fulfilling its mandate especially given the rich expertise of the newly appointed members.
He appealed to state institutions and policymakers to collaborate and harness the necessary resources to support the committee’s work.
“My team and I will entreat policymakers and Management to grant us the necessary support to facilitate and approve policy recommendations on various proposals tendered by the committee. A collaborative effort from all stakeholders will serve as a justification for the confidence reposed in the Committee”, he affirmed.
The members of the committee are Dr. Raphael Odoom of the University of Ghana Business School, Mr. Ben Anane Nsiah - GTA, Mr. George Asafo Agyei-GIPC, and Mrs. Ruth Maafo GEPA. The others are Mr. Samuel Takyi-CMC, Mrs. Afua Sarpong Appiah-Kubi, Mr. Benjamin T. Larweh and Ms. Jemima Boadu Ayeboafo, all of COCOBOD.
