Nigeria’s $770 million cocoa industry is being threatened by the European Union’s plans to implement its deforestation regulation plan in December 2024.
The National President of the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria, Comrade Adeola Adegoke, stated this on Saturday in a letter he addressed to the EU Commission for a to postpone the plan.
Adegoke called for urgent steps are not taken to resolve sustainability issues like deforestation and traceability.
He warned that the local cocoa could be at risk if the Federal Government does not take the necessary legal steps to halt and remediate deforestation and develop strategies for addressing forest loss in cocoa communities through collective action.
The farmers, however, assured the EU that steps are being taken to comply with best practices.
“We have embarked on advocacy and capacity training for our cocoa farmers in the areas of ecosystem protection, focusing on the production of deforestation-free cocoa and the protection of the rights of our labourers and children.
“These training sessions were conducted in partnership with other stakeholders across the cocoa-producing communities, tagged: Cocoa Farmers Roundtable Conference,” the statement read.
